


Cherry and Atticus Visit Halloween Town

by PerkyGoth14



Category: Halloweentown (1998)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-22
Updated: 2017-07-24
Packaged: 2018-12-05 07:05:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 20,374
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11572902
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PerkyGoth14/pseuds/PerkyGoth14
Summary: When Atticus forgets Cherry's birthday, he tries to think of a way to make it up to her and then decides to take her to a fantastical world called Halloween Town where an old friend of Cherry's grandmother plans on taking her own grandchildren to, especially her oldest granddaughter who turns thirteen and discovers her old family secrets.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm thinking about putting out the full story around Fall time in time for Halloween. I know some of you are gonna have a long and hard wait for one of my stories, but I just thought that that would be best. Anyway, you know my rules by now, so why bother explaining them every time I upload something new? Nothing now said here isn't different as it was way back in 2013. I'll see you in your comments and I hope you enjoy this story. Happy Halloween or whatever, depending on when you read this.

October 28th...

Atticus ran with Patch back home as they both laughed, but then Atticus's laughter slightly died out.

"What's wrong?" Patch asked.

"Oh, nothing, I just feel like I'm forgetting something..." Atticus said, then looked at his watch. "Ooh, midnight, it's nearly Halloween now."

"Yeah, come on, we better get home." Patch said.

Meanwhile...

Cherry blew a noisemaker dully as she was sitting in a chair in front of a cake and a party hat on her head with a birthday banner as the candles' flames died out and she was left alone in the dark. "I can't believe it," she said to herself. "They forgot my birthday."

"I'm still here..." Forte said as he handed her a gift wrapped box.

"Oh, joy..." Cherry took the box and unwrapped it to see a jewelry box and it had a necklace inside. "Oh, how lovely, I'll probably wear this at the opera house."

"I'm sorry the others forgot your birthday." Forte said.

"It's okay, I think I'm gonna have a slice of the cake and then go to bed early..." Cherry said.

Forte nodded and he cut her a piece of her cake.

"I just wish that something would actually happen on my birthday." Cherry said.

"Oh, Cerise, it's okay..." Forte soothed.

"Some friends I have..." Cherry muttered.

The next day, everyone met up, but Cherry was running late until she came to them.

"Hey, guys..." Cherry narrowed her eyes. "Have a good night last night?"

"Yeah, you should've been there!" Atticus smiled.

"Feel like you forget anything?" Cherry clenched her teeth.

"No, did we?" Patch asked.

Atticus began to think of what Cherry meant until he realized what last night also was. "Oh... Ohh!" he said. "Oh, Cherry, I am so sor-"

"It's okay, guys, you didn't have to come if you didn't want to..." Cherry turned away, obviously hurt. "After all, it only comes once a year."

"Cherry, if there was any way I could go back in time and celebrate your birthday with you, I would." Atticus said.

"Hmph..." Cherry pouted.

"We missed Cherry's birthday?" Patch asked.

"Yes." Atticus nodded.

"Hm..." Cherry sounded mad.

"Cherry, I'm sorry..." Atticus frowned.

"Whatever, Atticus!" Cherry snapped. "Just forget about it, okay? You were obviously too busy."

"I really am sorry." Atticus frowned.

"Hmph..." Cherry folded her arms. "The cake was delicious by the way..."

Atticus sighed, feeling guilty and knew he had to make this up somehow. 'I've got to make it up to her somehow.' He then thought to himself.

Later on, Atticus was home in his room, pacing around. "What am I going to do?! Cherry probably hates me right now!"

Emily knocked on the door. "Honey, Drell wants to see you."

"Mom, I'm busy, tell him I'll come by later!" Atticus called back.

"He says it's urgent." Emily then said.

"Well, forgetting Cherry's birthday and trying to thing of a way to make it up to her is more important!" Atticus told her.

Drell opened the door anyway and leaned over Atticus. "YOU FOOL!"

"Not now, Drell!" Atticus told him as he continued to pace around.

"Okay... Fine..." Drell shrugged and walked off. "I was just about to invite you guys somewhere that might make someone as miserable as Cherry happy, but never mind!" he then shut the door and went to the linen closet. "I'll just go and make Skippy replace my Whack-A-Mole home set."

"Wait! Is this place all Halloweeny?" Atticus asked.

"But of course, in fact, it's Halloween every day down there, but you live in the land of 'I-Don't-Care'..." Drell shrugged as he walked to the closet, then held up his hand as he counted down on his large fingers. "Three... Two... One."

"Wait!" Atticus called out, stopping him from leaving.

Drell smirked, then bore a soft straight face as he looked back to the boy. "Yes...?"

"Take me and Cherry with you!" Atticus begged.

"Well, I don't know..." Drell rubbed his stomach lining with his forefingers. "I might be rather too busy for you guys..."

"Doing what?" Atticus asked.

"Eh, I dunno..." Drell inspected his fingernails, pretending not to care. "Maybe I'll go to the moon with Hilda for one of our rendezvous~..."

"Please take us with you to this place you were talking about!" Atticus begged.

"Well... I dunno..." Drell ran his fingers through his hair. "How bad do you wanna go?"

"Drell, Cherry might KILL ME!" Atticus cried out.

Drell chuckled. "Yes, she might..."

"Drell!" Atticus cried.

Drell chuckled. "I'm just pulling your leg," he put his arm around Atticus then. "Hilda and I happen to have an old friend in Halloween Town with grandchildren in this realm."

"Wahoo!" Atticus cheered.

Drell chuckled. "I can't believe you forgot Cherry's birthday though..." he then narrowed his eyes. "I oughta sock you..."

"Cherry being angry with me is much worse than you." Atticus said.

"Oh, come on, she can't be that bad..." Drell rolled his eyes.

"Let us check on her and see her then." Atticus said.

Drell then went with Atticus to go see Cherry who was pretty mad with Atticus for forgetting her birthday.

"Hi, Mrs. Butler, is Cherry home?" Atticus asked nervously.

"Yes, but now is not a good time." Michelle said.

Drell walked right in anyway. Michelle rushed over and blocked her daughter's bedroom door.

"Michelle, I am a professional, I have been in the Council for hundreds of years, I think I can handle your daughter." Drell smirked.

"Okay, but it's your funeral." Michelle sighed.

Drell came into Cherry's room without knocking.

"Funeral?" Atticus winced. "At this rate, we might as well call the mortician now."

"Cherry, stop being mad, Atticus is sorry he missed your birthday." Drell came into the perky goth's bedroom.

Michelle and Atticus soon counted down from 5.

"Get out." Cherry said.

"Hey, now, that's no way to talk to your superior!" Drell scolded.

"GET OUT!" Cherry roared which sounded rather dark and demonic.

Drell yelled out of fear and ran out of the room.

"And now he knows." Atticus said.

Michelle sighed. "I know you didn't mean to Atticus, but she's really upset about you missing her birthday."

"I know..." Atticus sighed back. "There's gotta be someway to make it up to her."

"Hmm... I know, how about taking her to Halloween Town?" Michelle smiled. "There's a bus that goes there every Halloween night before midnight."

"Halloween Town?" Atticus asked.

"Oh, yes," Michelle beamed. "My mother's old friend Aggie Cromwell usually goes to see her grandchildren on Halloween night and she was thinking this year of showing them Halloween Town herself, and if you would like, I will ask her to take you and Cherry with her."

"Yes, please!" Atticus begged.

"I'm sure Halloween Town will be the cure Cherry needs," Michelle smiled, knowing how much her daughter loved the holiday. "But, you didn't hear that from me."

"Are you guys still out there?" Cherry asked as she couldn't hear them which would be a perfect surprise.

The two of them soon shushed each other. Cherry poked her head out, showing she had on her headphones with music and shrugged as her best friend and mother seemed to vanish before she went back in her room and shut the door.

"I'll go ask her now." Michelle whispered to Atticus.

Atticus nodded. Cherry was listening to her music and soon saw her mother which made her grunt as she paused the music and put her headphones around her neck to see what she wanted, but she saw her going to a different phone.

"I need to use your phone." Michelle then told her.

"Oh... Okay..." Cherry shrugged. "What were you and Atticus talking about?"

"Oh, he just wanted to know something about the Netherworld that Grandma taught me," Michelle smiled innocently. "I'll see you at dinner."

"Oh..." Cherry frowned.

Michelle felt bad for lying to Cherry, but it would be made up for later as she soon placed a phone call in secret. Cherry sighed as she put her music back on as she felt betrayed. After a few rings, there was finally an answer.

'Hello?' A voice on the other line answered.

"Hey, Aggie, I was wondering if you wouldn't mind bringing daughter and her best friend with you to Halloween Town?" Michelle whispered to her.

'Aren't they mortals then?' Aggie asked since Michelle wasn't a biological witch.

"No, Atticus is a Wiccan and Cherry has special powers of her own." Michelle promised.

'Well... I guess that would be all right.' Aggie replied.

"You see, this is kind of a special gift for her and in a way for Atticus to make up for forgetting her birthday." Michelle said.

'Ah, I see,' Aggie replied. 'I just have to collect my grandchildren, it's little Marnie's time now.'

"Oh, my, is she thirteen already?" Michelle smiled.

'Yes, time does fly, doesn't it?' Aggie chuckled. 'But yes, it's about her time.'

"Is your daughter going to be okay with her starting her training?' Michelle asked.

'We're just gonna have to wait and see,' Aggie sighed. 'Your mother was very lucky that she could keep custody of you since you didn't have witch powers at birth when she adopted you.'

"Oh, I know," Michelle remembered that trial with the Witches Council. "I was so scared for both of us."

'I know.' Aggie smiled.

"Thanks so much, Aggie, you're a life saver," Michelle beamed. "I just know this'll be perfect for my little Cherry."

'Anything for a good friend's daughter,' Aggie giggled. 'I just hope she doesn't mind my grandchildren.'

"Hard to say, though I'm sure Atticus will want to bond with Dylan." Michelle guessed.

'We'll just have to see.' Aggie said.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you." Michelle beamed.

A few days later...

"Happy Birthday, Mom." Cherry handed one of her birthday cookies to her mother since it was October 30th, the day before Halloween and Michelle's birthday.

"Oh, dark chocolate, my favorite," Michelle smiled as she accepted the cookie from her daughter. "Thanks, Cherry Berry."

"You're welcome." Cherry said.

Michelle then happily ate the cookie. "Excited about Halloween tomorrow?"

"I guess." Cherry shrugged, still a little down that her own best friend forgot her birthday.

"Now, Cherry, I'm sure Atticus will do something to make up for forgetting your birthday." Michelle said.

"Mm..." Cherry hummed lowly.

"Anyway, I'm expecting someone tomorrow." Michelle said.

"Oh... Okay, I'll come out to get my dinner and give you two some privacy until I go to the cemetery." Cherry replied.

"Actually, I'd like you to be down here when she arrives." Michelle said.

"What?!" Cherry asked.

"It's just a little favor, Cherry..." Michelle told her daughter. "Agatha is a good friend of your grandmother's."

Cherry then sighed, trying not to sound like a smart aleck about it. "All right, Mom."

"Thanks, sweetie." Michelle smiled.

"Okay, Mom." Cherry replied.

Michelle still smiled, knowing tomorrow was going to be a lot of fun for her dark and gloomy daughter.

The next day came sooner than anyone knew. Of course, for Cherry, Halloween night came closer for her than anyone else, and she was wearing a ghoulish costume.

Michelle was dressed as a female vampire since that was usually what she wore when she used to trick-or-treat with Cherry's brother when he was a kid. She then heard the doorbell and she pretended not to know who it was until she opened the door to show an older blonde woman at the door. "Oh, it's Aggie Cromwell!" she then announced with glee.

"And if it isn't Michelle Butler?" Aggie smiled.

The two laughed and hugged each other.

"Hi, Aggie!" Bud smiled as he was going to be social.

"Oh, and this must be your Bud," Aggie smiled back to him before smirking playfully toward Michelle. "I'm going to snag him off your hands if you're not careful."

"Oh, ha, ha." Michelle smirked playfully back.

Aggie chuckled before looking to the ghoulish girl. "Oh, is this Cherry?"

"Yes, this is her." Michelle confirmed.

"Hello, Cherry, Happy Halloween." Aggie smiled.

"Hello, ma'am." Cherry replied dryly.

There was soon a knocking at the door.

"Oh, another visitor." Aggie smiled.

Michelle then answered the door. She soon saw Atticus dressed up as Superman. "Oh, Atticus, come on in." She smiled as she let in the strong boy.

Atticus smiled back and came inside.

"Let me feel those muscles," Bud smiled to Atticus before he soon did and where it felt like solid steel. "You should help me with a project someday."

"Maybe later, Bud." Atticus chuckled.

"You got it." Bud said.

"Hey, Cherry, Happy Halloween." Atticus smiled.

"You look like a dork." Cherry muttered.

"Cherry!" Michelle frowned.

"It's okay," Atticus said. "That's just her opinion."

"Ready to go?" Aggie asked Cherry and Atticus.

"Let's just get this over with." Cherry shrugged.

"Oh, trust me, Cherry, this will be worth it." Atticus smiled.

"Happy Halloween!" Aggie called out to Bud and Michelle on the way out the door.

Bud and Michelle waved as Aggie first took Cherry and Atticus to meet her grandchildren.

"And away we go." Atticus said.

"Joy." Cherry muttered.

"Don't be such a grumpy gus, you'll love this," Aggie soothed her. "I'm sure little Sophie is looking out the window right now, watching the little trick-or-treaters."

"Is she your oldest or youngest granddaughter?" Atticus asked.

"Sophie is the youngest." Aggie replied.

"That's good to know." Atticus said.

Cherry sighed as she didn't find this to be important, though she would be proved wrong soon enough.

It was soon dark and many kids in costumes were going around to collect candy for tonight.

"We're almost there." Aggie said.

"Joy." Cherry sighed, though she was still upset with Atticus since he had known her for a long time and he forgot her birthday.

Atticus let it slide for now as he knew she would get over it soon once Aggie would take them to the secret place. Surprisingly for them, Aggie's bag moved. Aggie waited for a bus to take them to her daughter's house where her grandchildren were and she would then take them to the fabled world known as Halloween Town. Strangely enough, the bus could fly.

"Ooh, flying bus..." Atticus spookily told Cherry.

"We see flying cars all the time." Cherry replied dryly.

"Dang it, you're right." Atticus groaned.

"Don't worry, she'll warm up once we get to the town." Aggie smiled to Atticus.

"I hope you're right." Atticus sighed as he made sure his cape didn't get caught in the door as they went on the bus.

Once in the bus, they saw the driver and many monsters in the bus. Cherry wasn't too surprised. Atticus just hoped that Cherry would forgive him by the time they would leave Halloween Town. Once they boarded onto the bus, it floated in the sky and then flew off to take Aggie, Cherry, and Atticus to where Aggie's grandchildren lived with her currently single daughter, and where Aggie was right about her youngest granddaughter.


	2. Chapter 2

When the bus landed and made a random stop appear so mortals wouldn't be suspicious, Aggie came out of the bus with Cherry and Atticus as she floated down from the bus with her umbrella almost like Mary Poppins. Aggie was sure that Cherry would get along great with Marnie, her oldest granddaughter, who loved Halloween just as much as she did. 

"Oh, come on." Aggie told her shaking bag.

Her bag simply shook as if saying it wouldn't come.

"Come on..." Aggie continued.

The bag still shook as it stayed where it was.

"Suit yourself," Aggie shrugged and looked to Cherry and Atticus. "Come with me, children."

"See ya." Atticus smirked at the bag.

The bag soon gave in and followed them down the street and floated into Aggie's hand. Aggie giggled and cooed as she picked up her bag and hugged it in her arms.

"Witches are weird..." Cherry rolled her eyes.

"Some witches." Atticus said.

"Ah, I hear you two are close with the Spellmans." Aggie smiled.

"You could say that," Atticus smiled back. "I can't remember where we were going, but it was raining one day and it was too dangerous to go anywhere, so Hilda and Zelda helped us and then we met Sabrina."

"It's true." Cherry said.

Aggie smirked as she decided to surprise and sneak up on her daughter as she came to the house with Cherry and Atticus as a redheaded woman was at the stove while a plate of cookies was at the table and a little girl looked away as she couldn't have any until after dinner, but then, one of the cookies seemed to float to her. The woman quickly snatched the cookie and hid it in her mouth.

The little girl tilted her head to her mother. "Were you just eating a cookie?"

'Busted.' Atticus thought to himself with a smirk.

"Grandma!" The little girl beamed.

"What're you doing here?" The girl's mother asked as Aggie came to hug her. 

"Grandma! Grandma!" A preteen boy and a teenage girl soon ran into the room to see Aggie.

"Why aren't any of you out trick-or-treating or at any Halloween parties?" Cherry asked.

"We can't go," The teenage girl complained. "Mom won't let us, but she never tells us why."

"I don't mind staying in on Halloween." The boy replied.

"Um, Mother, who are your young friends?" The mother asked.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Aggie chuckled. "Gwen, these are Cherry and Atticus. Cherry is Mary Ruth's granddaughter."

"Ooh..." Aggie's daughter's eyes widened. 

"Atticus is her guest," Aggie continued. "I hope you don't mind that they've come along."

"Of course not." Gwen said.

"I just love Halloween," Marnie beamed. "Nobody loves it as much as I do."

"Uh-oh," Atticus smirked toward Cherry. "You've got some competition."

"I don't care." Cherry rolled her eyes.

Atticus sighed as not even Halloween couldn't perk her up.

"Anyway, it's nice to meet you all." Cherry said.

"Sorry if she's cranky, she's a little mad that I forgot her birthday." Atticus told the others.

"Ooh, that's a bit rough..." The oldest girl winced.

"These are my children," Gwen introduced. "Marnie, Dylan, and Sophie."

Sophie was the first to wonder if Aggie had any presents for them.

"Sophie..." Gwen warned her youngest.

"Oh, presents, presents, presents," Aggie replied. "What kind of grandma do you think I'd be if I didn't bring presents? They're right here in my suitcase, I just, I... Where did that thing get to?" she then looked around before going off. "Oh, just a minute."

Gwen rolled her eyes while Marnie, Dylan, and Sophie looked amused. Atticus soon brought over Aggie's bag who struggling to get free.

"Ah, thank you, Atticus," Aggie replied as she took the bag before hitting it slightly. "Here it is!"

"How come you've been gone so long, Grandma?" Sophie asked.

"Oh, you know, one thing and another," Aggie sighed softly before glancing to her daughter and cuddling her grandchildren. "But the important thing is that I'm here now, and so glad to see you all."

"Hmm... This place needs decorations." Atticus said.

"Come with me." Aggie smiled as she led them all into the living room.

Marnie stayed behind to speak with her mother while her younger siblings were excited to see Aggie again.

"Hmm... I don't know, how about a cute Jack-O-Lantern?" Atticus asked.

"Of course, of course, but first..." Aggie said before she took out a skeleton in a pile of candy from inside of her bag.

"Candy!" Sophie cheered.

"Nice." Atticus smiled.

"Ooh, that's the spirit!" Aggie beamed to her grandchildren.

Gwen didn't look happy however. 

"Put on our bikinis and go swimming in it!" Aggie beamed in excitement as she tossed the skeleton and her robe against her daughter who looked overwhelmed. "Oh, and then we'll put up the decorations so we can get this party started!"

"Look, Grandma dressed up for Halloween!" Sophie smiled at her grandmother's outfit.

"What? Oh, yes, of course, I did," Aggie smiled back. "I always do!"

"Now for those decorations." Atticus said.

"Oh, here, honey," Aggie said as she brought out a ring of garlic which disgusted her grandchildren. "I want you to go and hang this around the doorknob. It annoys the vampires." 

Cherry looked like she was going to be sick as she caught a whiff of the garlic. Atticus soon gave her a nose clothespin. Cherry soon calmed down once she couldn't smell the garlic anymore.

"This bag defies logic," Dylan said as he brought out a jar filled with eyeballs. "How does all this stuff fit in here?"

Marnie shrugged at him as they emptied their grandmother's bag. Atticus knew how all the decorations and candy could fit in the bag.

"You know, dear, if I'm not mistaken, this is Marnie's thirteenth Halloween," Aggie told Gwen. "Wonderfully lucky number 13."

Marnie took out a bat which looked so realistic that made Cherry give a small smirk. "Totally." she then smiled to her grandmother as she was geeking out over her grandmother's Halloween decorations.

"Halloween is great." Atticus said.

Marnie grinned in agreement.

"Yes, I'm well aware of what number it is, Mother." Gwen muttered to Aggie.

"Hey, look!" Marnie beamed as she took out a trinket. "A pentagram!"

"Ooh." Atticus smiled.

"This is nice." Cherry admitted as she took a look.

"Lon Chaney had one of these on his palm when he got bitten by that werewolf." Marnie told the others as she held the trinket.

"Impressive." Cherry said.

"So he did," Aggie smiled to her eldest grandchild as she wore the trinket around her neck. "I've always said the movies can teach us about life--"

"Mother, as I just got through telling Marnie, Halloween is not--" Gwen interrupted her mother only to be interrupted herself.

"What else can I do, Grandma?" Sophie beamed.

'She sure is a happy child.' Cherry thought to herself.

"Well, now, why don't you put out the pumpkins, you see?" Aggie handed out a pumpkin to her youngest grandchild. "They have such cute little faces, just like yours!"

"Neat!" Sophie beamed.

'Wow, her bag has everything.' Atticus thought to himself.

"Oh, and I thought you'd appreciate these." Aggie told Marnie as she took out a stone with Ancient Egyptian symbols on them.

"Hey, those are hieroglyphics." Cherry noticed.

"Very smart that you knew that." Aggie said.

"Cherry is pretty good when it comes to Ancient Egyptian artifacts." Atticus replied.

"Mother!" Gwen gaped at Aggie.

"These look like the ones from the Egyptian Book of the Dead." Marnie took a look with Cherry.

"Yes, they do." Cherry agreed.

Atticus was happy that Cherry had someone who liked Halloween as much as she did.

"Very good," Aggie smiled to both girls. "I'll bet you two get A's in school."

"Actually, Marnie gets B's and C's, I get the A's." Dylan smirked.

'He sure likes to brag.' Atticus thought to himself.

Marnie swatted against her brother in annoyance. "You know, Grandma, this is totally awesome," she then smiled as she continued to look in the bottomless bag. "Like, no one here appreciates my taste in weird stuff."

"Encouragement, not good!" Dylan whispered up to his mother.

"No." Gwen shook her head.

"And you know what else?" Marnie continued. "I have deja vu a lot, I mean, like all the time."

"Really?" Cherry asked.

Aggie looked the most intrigued about that as Marnie nodded to Cherry. "Well, you know, if you could practice--"

"Mother!" Gwen stopped her right there. "Could I talk to you in the kitchen for just one minute?"

'What is with her?' Atticus thought to himself.

"Absolutely, dear," Aggie smiled to Gwen. "As soon as I get children costumes."

"Costumes?!" Gwen gasped.

Aggie soon bright out three costumes. Atticus looked excited, Cherry was too even if she didn't look it just yet. Aggie's grandchildren seemed to love their costumes even though one of them looked like a pimple. Marnie was given a special costume, Sophie was given a ghost costume, and Dylan was given what looked like a viking barbarian hero. 

"Awesome, I'm a Wiccan!" Marnie beamed.

"I'm a ghost!" Sophie cheered.

"I think I'm a big pimple." Dylan muttered.

"You're a viking." Atticus said.

"All right, that's it!" Gwen snapped just as Cherry was getting in a better mood. "Mother, these children are not going out trick-or-treating, and now, it is time, for dinner!"

"Oh, come on!" Cherry complained.

"No, no, she's right, she's right," Aggie replied. "We'll eat the candy later." She then added with a whisper before going to talk with her daughter.

They soon went in to eat dinner, luckily Gwen had enough to share with Cherry and Atticus. After dinner, Sophie was doing her best to sound like a ghost. Marnie and Dylan chuckled out of amusement of their younger sister.

"Oh, no, dear, it's more like a moan sound," Aggie advised. "You know, ghosts tend to be very depressed creatures. Anyway, like this..." She then demonstrated with her own ghostly moan.

"Impressive." Atticus said.

"Well, Mother, your visit's been very educational," Gwen folded her arms with a smirk. "But, it's time for bed."

"Aw, Mom!" The kids complained.

"Can't they stay up a bit longer?" Atticus and Cherry added. Atticus was surprised, but he did smile at Cherry's optimism. Then again, it was Halloween.

"Oh, but she's right," Aggie agreed with her daughter before looking to the children. "Your mother and I need to talk about... Grown-up things anyway."

"BOOOORRING!" Cherry yelled out.

"Let's leave them alone." Atticus said.

"All right," Cherry said. "Nice outing, Atticus..." she then rolled her eyes as this was a boring Halloween since she couldn't go out or scare anybody.

"Trust me, this will get better." Atticus said.

"Mm..." Cherry hummed in disbelief. "Why don't you go to Krypton? Oh, that's right," she then smirked. "They destroyed it."

"Not cool, Cherry." Atticus scolded for bringing that up since he was dressed as a young Superman.

"Oh, calm down." Cherry said.

"You know how personally I take that," Atticus pouted. "What if I said something about Thomas and Martha Wayne?"

Cherry then sunk in her seat, not saying anything.

"Please tell us a bedtime story." Sophie said to Aggie.

"That sounds nice." Atticus said.

"Yeah, great idea!" Marnie agreed.'

"Yeah!" Dylan added in.

Gwen flashed him a look.

"I mean... Horrible idea." Dylan covered up.

"Mama's boy." Cherry muttered.

The kids soon pleaded their mother and Aggie gave her daughter a long look.

"Well..." Gwen replied. "All right, but just one."

"You won't regret it." Atticus said.

"I'm starting to regret coming here." Cherry muttered.

"See you upstairs, Grandma." Marnie smiled and kissed Aggie's cheek before going with Dylan and Sophie.

"You guys get ready for bed," Gwen told her children. "We'll be right up."

"We'll be upstairs." Atticus said.

"Most boring Halloween ever..." Cherry muttered.

"I know, dear, it is so plain and ordinary here," Aggie agreed. "That's why I want my daughter to move back home with her children."

"I doubt she'll agree." Cherry scoffed.

"Please, Gwen," Aggie continued to plead her daughter. "Since William's passed on, there's nothing here to hold you here."

"Nothing has to hold me here, Mother," Gwen replied. "I can have a normal life here. They can have a normal life here."

"Being normal is boring!" Cherry complained. 

"Vastly overrated." Aggie agreed.

"And most of all, if not, exciting." Atticus added.

"Well, I like being normal." Gwen replied. 

Aggie gave her daughter an estranged look for that declaration. Gwen was going to keep talking, but she wasn't sure if she could around Cherry and Atticus since she didn't know them.

"We're magical too." Atticus said.

"She is Mary Ruth's granddaughter," Aggie said about Cherry. "And if I'm not mistaken, Atticus is the nephew of Delilah."

"Yeah!" Atticus beamed.

"I know that last name anywhere, 'Fudo'." Aggie smiled.

Atticus smiled proudly about his last name.

"The fact is, we're not normal," Gwen soon concluded which made Gwen roll her eyes. "Every time you come into this house, it's chaos, and the candy, the decorations, and the..." she then paused with a sigh. "Mother... Mom, let's not fight again. I know you're only here for a couple of hours, go and tell them a story. Talk to them and get to know them, but on your honor, don't tell them about home. You can take these kids with you there, but not mine."

"Why?" Cherry asked. "What's so wrong about Halloween?"

"I just don't like it or anything to do with it, besides, it might be dangerous." Gwen replied.

"Lady, PLEASE!" Cherry complained. "Halloween is the best time of the year! It's like an early Christmas celebration, but with more candy!"

"And besides, what danger?" Atticus asked.

"They have a point, dear." Aggie smirked.

Gwen sighed to this.

"Take me home." Cherry told Atticus.

"WHAT?!" Atticus asked.

"This is the most boringest Halloween ever," Cherry replied. "Just take me home."

"Don't worry, dear, it'll get exciting." Aggie assured her.

"If you say so..." Cherry rolled her eyes.

They soon came upstairs to Marnie, Dylan, and Sophie to help them to bed for the night with a bedtime story from Aggie. After a short time of waiting, Aggie finally came upstairs. The kids were all excited and in their pajamas even if they spent another Halloween indoors.

"Hi," Dylan appeared in the door-frame. "Just making sure everyone's got their thermostat set to 68 degrees, because it's important to conserve energy during the evening hours--"

"Dylan, just get in here." Marnie impatiently told him.

Dylan soon got in the room.

"Which story are you gonna tell us, Grandma?" Sophie smiled. "Is it one I know?"

"Oh, no, I wouldn't think so," Aggie replied. "My story is about a magical place where many sorts of different creatures live together in peace."

"Like Cleveland?" Dylan asked which made Cherry snort. "I hear they have a nice school district."

"Yeah, I doubt that's the place she's talking about." Cherry said.

"You're right, Cherry," Aggie smiled which excited Marnie. "This place is called 'Halloween Town', and the residents are a bit more... Exotic. Monsters, goblins, ghosts, vampires, gnomes, and skeletons."

"Do they have dybbuks and banshees there too?" Marnie asked in excitement.

"By the dozens," Aggie smiled which made Dylan roll his eyes. "And of course, a few very fine witches."

"I don't like witches," Sophie pouted even though Marnie grinned at the mention of witches. "They're mean and scary."

"Drell sure is." Cherry quietly smirked.

"Not all witches are mean, just the evil kind; other witches are nice and kind." Atticus said.

"Atticus is right, dear." Aggie agreed.

"And some can be beautiful." Atticus said.

"Well, they're just like everyone else," Aggie said. "Some are kind, some are mean. That's the way they use their magic. You can't tell what's in a monster's heart just by looking at 'em. I mean, sometimes, some of the slimiest, raunchiest, ugliest little monsters turn out to be the nicest." 

"I wanna go there!" Sophie beamed.

"Um, Sophie, I'm afraid it's not real." Cherry lied.

Atticus and Aggie frowned to her.

"Excuse me, we have an impressionable young child here," Dylan spoke up. "I agree with Cherry and we should make it clear that this place is pretend."

'Oh, he is so going to be proven wrong.' Atticus thought to himself.

Aggie then told her grandchildren that she didn't make Halloween Town up and how she read about it in a book. "So you see, maybe it is real."

"A book?" Dylan asked. "What book?"

"Oh," Aggie said before taking out a book from her pocket on the world she had mentioned. "There! Halloween Town."

"Nice." Atticus smiled.

"Let me see that..." Cherry said as she took the book and looked with the others.

"Look, a ghost!" Sophie pointed to one picture. "Just like we were playing, Grandma!"

"Mm-hmm." Aggie smiled and nodded as she turned the page.

"Wow, where'd you get this book?" Cherry asked.

"Where do you think?" Aggie giggled before she turned another page to see a witch who looked a lot like her older granddaughter on a broomstick dressed up like a witch.

"Look, it's Marnie!" Sophie pointed.

"Whoa," Atticus said about the resemblance. "How uncanny."

Marnie took the book as she looked at the picture and couldn't believe it herself. "It is me..."

Dylan then swiped the book with a scoff. "She doesn't look anything like you! She's way too cute."

"Are you calling your sister cute?" Cherry smirked.

"This is from a guy who could win an ugly contest." Marnie added.

"Well, there is quite a resemblance," Aggie smiled. "Or perhaps Marnie has a secret life we don't know anything about~"

"Yeah." Atticus nodded.

"Well, if she is a witch, she's got the weird part down pact," Dylan scoffed at his older sister. "It's just the magic powers she's missing!"

"Oh, brother." Atticus groaned.

"What about it, dear?" Aggie smiled to Marnie. "Have you cast any spells or taken midnight flights through the sky?"

"I wish," Marnie shook her head. "But the truth is... There's nothing special about me." 

"Oh, no, no, dear, you're very special," Aggie smiled. "You're a Cromwell! And since the dawn of time, the Cromwells have been the most powerful--"

Atticus soon stopped her there.

"Mother," Gwen said as she came into the room. "It's getting late. You wouldn't want to miss your bus back home."

"Aww... Grandma has to go?" Sophie pouted.

Gwen nodded to confirm this.

"She'll be back next year." Atticus promised.

Cherry rolled her eyes. What a waste of a good Halloween, and what a year this turned out to be for her.

"But can't you stay overnight, Grandma?" Marnie frowned.

"Oh, no, dear, your mother's quite right," Aggie replied. "If I don't head home by midnight, well, it's just... Just... A long time until the next bus, now, kiss Grandma good night."

After the grandchildren kissed Aggie good night, she walked out the room.

"That was the best Halloween ever?" Cherry complained to Atticus. "That was lame!"

"It's not over yet." Atticus said.

"Just take me home." Cherry sighed out of boredom.

"All right, Cherry, let's just wait for the bus." Atticus smirked.

Gwen and Aggie were talking in the kitchen, but when they would be done, Aggie would join Cherry and Atticus outside, and where she even told Gwen about what was going on in Halloween Town. Atticus listened in while Cherry sulked about this year's Halloween being just a bust for her. Atticus then chuckled as Aggie snapped her fingers and turned the fried chicken in a bowl into a live chicken which startled Gwen. 

Unknown to any of them, Marnie was listening in too and even spied on what was going on. She was of course very shocked to witness actual magic and it had been hidden from her and her siblings for their whole lives. Eventually, Aggie finally left her daughter's house and her grandchildren were now going to find out the truth about Halloween Town, and where Marnie told Dylan everything she found out. Dylan, of course, did not believe her.


	3. Chapter 3

The kids were going to sneak into Halloween Town with their grandmother, but little did they know, this was going to be an adventure for all of them, especially there.

"Now just have to wait for the bus." Atticus said.

"Thank you for waiting," Aggie told them as she hiked up her hood. "I'm sorry about tonight, Cherry."

"Well, at least this night is almost over." Cherry sighed.

Atticus sighed to her. Little did they know, Marnie, Dylan, and Sophie were right behind them as they waited for the bus. The bus soon came to let them in.

"Hi, Skinner." Aggie smiled.

"Hello, Aggie." The driver replied to take her out of the Mortal World.

Once they were on the bus; Aggie, Atticus, and Cherry took their seats. Marnie, Dylan, and Sophie then snuck on after they sat down, and where the bus was soon on its way to Halloween Town. Cherry yawned as she felt very bored, but luckily, they were on the way to Halloween Town, and luckily for her, Halloween lasted longer than it did in the Mortal Realm. And where nothing would ruin it for her.

"Tell me, have you two been to Monster High?" Aggie smiled to Cherry and Atticus.

"No, not yet." Cherry and Atticus said.

"Oh, I hope you do soon, it's such a lovely school." Aggie smiled.

"We'll be sure to go there." Cherry said.

Soon enough, it looked bright as daylight as the bus was coming in for a landing while monster citizens were roaming about.

"Whoa." Cherry said.

"Welcome to Halloween Town." Aggie told Cherry.

"We're really here..." Cherry actually smiled. "I can't believe we're really here."

"Surprise!" Atticus smiled.

When the bus stopped, everyone stood up out of their seats and went to get off. 

Aggie smiled until she bumped into someone.

"Aggie! How are you, dear?" The woman smiled.

"Oh, Harriet, I'm fine," Aggie smiled back. "I have some company, and one of them is a certain witch's granddaughter and the other one is a Wiccan~"

"Hello." Atticus and Cherry smiled.

"Oh, that has to be Mary Ruth's granddaughter," Harriet said about Cherry. "She has her mother's smile."

"And luckily, she has her own magic," Aggie nodded before looking to Cherry and Atticus. "Children, this is my dear friend, Harriet."

"I take care of headless creatures." Harriet smiled.

"That's nice of you." Atticus smiled back.

"Been to visit mortals, eh?" Harriet asked Aggie. "Didn't have time this year myself, doing some volunteer work down at the Headless Shelter. Poor dears..." she then held out her basket. "Anyone care for a muffin?"

"Me." Atticus smiled.

"I baked them for the folks at the shelter," Harriet smiled back as she handed him a muffin. "Didn't occur to me they couldn't eat them: No heads!" she then cackled innocently.

Atticus soon enjoyed the muffin. He shook a chill down his spine as he glanced to City Hall as they walked along with Aggie while Harriet went to do her work.

Marnie, Sophie, and Dylan soon came out from the back door of the bus to explore Halloween Town up close, and where it was all real, but Dylan was still in denial.

"I don't get it!" Dylan told his sisters as they were shocked and amazed. "Monsters are just pretend!"

"Dylan, this is Halloween Town, just like the book!" Marnie beamed as she saw a stand with a giant Jack-O-Lantern on it.

Sophie nodded in agreement with her older sister.

"Or maybe we fell asleep on the bus," Dylan replied. "Yeah, that's it. It's... All a dream."

Marnie and Sophie didn't think this was a dream.

"The decorations, the goblins, the witches, the ghosts, and Grandma," Dylan told his sisters. "She was a dream, too."

"Oh, no, Grandma!" Marnie panicked. "Where'd she go? She's gotta be around here somewhere... We've got to find her."

Dylan soon pulled her arm and pointed to Sophie who was alone far away from them, and where they were actually surprised to see her since they thought she was fast asleep back home. Aggie allowed Cherry and Atticus to explore around Halloween Town. 

Cherry ran around in wild wonder as she felt very pleased to be here. Atticus was happy that Cherry was happy now.

"Oh, someone seems to be having fun." A pink girl who appeared to be a vampire smiled at Cherry.

"Uh, yeah, I guess you could say that," Cherry replied. "Are you a vampire?"

"Yes, of course I am," The girl smiled, showing her fangs. "I am Dracula's daughter."

"He has more than two daughters?" Cherry asked.

"Oh, I guess you've heard of my sisters," The vampire girl smiled. "I'm Draculaura." 

"I guess you like blood too then, huh?" Cherry asked.

"Oh, no, no," Draculaura shook her head before she looked paler than usual. "I can't have blood, it makes me feel woozy~"

"Oh, uh, that's interesting." Cherry said.

"That's just how I feel though." Draculaura replied innocently.

Cherry soon heard a howl and looked over to see a werewolf girl.

"Oh, there's my friend, Clawdeen." Draculaura smiled.

"Let me guess, that's the werewolf's first daughter?" Cherry guessed.

"Yes, Clawdeen," Draculaura smiled before the werewolf girl hopped down and landed beside. "Clawdeen, this is--Oh, I'm sorry, what was your name?"

"Call me Cherry." Cherry told the girls.

"Hello there, Cherry, I'm Clawdeen Wolf." Clawdeen smirked.

"It's nice to meet you." Cherry said.

"You seem different for a normy." Draculaura said.

"Normy?" Cherry asked.

"That's what we call humans," Clawdeen explained. "But I like your difference."

"I'm not a human." Cherry said.

"Oh..." Clawdeen and Draculaura blinked.

Cherry opened her mouth to show her vampire fangs which were a bit smaller than Draculaura's.

"Oh, she's a fellow vampire!" Draculaura beamed in excitement.

"Yep." Cherry nodded.

"Do you like blood?" Draculaura asked.

"Uh, not as much as Sprite." Cherry shrugged.

This made Draculaura and Clawdeen laugh.

"What?" Cherry asked.

Atticus smiled as Cherry made some new friends and soon shook another chill as a man with a top hat came out from City Hall to see Marnie, Dylan, and Sophie. "Looks like they followed us." He then said.

"Oh, hello there," The man smiled to Atticus. "What's your name?"

"Atticus Fudo." Atticus replied.

"Fudo, huh?" The man asked. "That's a nice name."

"Thank you, sir." Atticus said.

"This guy says he knows where our grandma lives." Marnie said.

"Yes, she's lived in the same house for 200 years," The man nodded. "I'll get Benny to run you all up there." He then whistled which summoned a cab.

Cherry was soon coming towards them as she had lost track of Aggie. She nearly got hit by the cab, but luckily, both missed each other.

"Come on." The man told the kids to join him in the cab.

"We really appreciate you doing this for us." Marnie said before flinching as the driver was a living skeleton.

"Cool." Atticus smiled.

"Howdy, Mayor, what's the rush?" The skeleton asked the man. "I'm on my lunch hour, Filet-O-Fish!" he then took out a fish bone. "HA! Just kiddin', what's the ticket?"

"Well, I found a bunch of Cromwells in the town square," The man told him. "Need you to give 'em a lift up to their grandma's place."

"Along with some friends." Cherry said.

"Sure, it's just over the river and through the woods!" The driver laughed at his little joke. "No, actually, just it's just two streets over, up a quarter mile past the old movie theater."

"Say hi to Aggie for me." The man told the kids as they got into the backseat of the cab.

"We sure will." Atticus said.

"There ya go," The mayor smiled before smirking to the skeleton. "He's a much better driver than a comedian."

"Hey!" The skeleton glared. 

"Thanks for your help!" Marnie smiled back to the man.

"So long, Soapy." The man replied before tapping the top of the car with his cane.

The car soon drove off. The driver soon drove them to Aggie's house while Dylan seemed to be staring at him. 

"So, Benny, um, have any family that goes to Monster High?" Cherry asked.

"I got a niece named Skelita Calaveras, though she lives in Campasuchill, Hexico with her family." Benny replied.

"That's good to know." Cherry said.

"I guess you met Draculaura and Clawdeen." Benny chuckled.

"Yep." Cherry nodded.

"This is so amazing." Marnie smiled at the sights and sounds of Halloween Town.

"Yeah, it's a pretty nice place," Benny replied. "Better than a lot of graveyards I've hung out in. But that don't mean you kids can go running around by yourselves."

"Why?" Atticus asked.

"Well, let's just say there are characters around here that aren't the most savory," Benny replied before glancing out the window. "Like that kid, Luke."

"What's so bad about him?" Cherry asked.

"Ah, he's just the local punk," Benny told her. "He thinks he's a big shot just because he got a nose job and had a few warts removed. Claims some shadow creature gave it to him. HA!" He soon pulled up in front of a gate. "Well, here we are: Chez Cromwell!"

"Thanks." Atticus said.

"Cool!" Marnie smiled at her grandmother's place as she came out with Sophie and Dylan along with Cherry and Atticus. "Uh, thanks for the ride," she then told the skeleton driver. "Do you take dollars?"

"Ah, don't worry about it," Benny replied. "Pay me in the next life. HA!"

"Wow." Cherry said.

"See ya, kids!" Benny called out as he drove off.

"Bye!" Marnie waved to him on the way out.

"He's probably animatronic," Dylan told the others. "Disneyland's full of stuff like that."

"You are such a non-believer." Atticus scoffed at him.

"Yeah, not even I'm so pessimistic." Cherry added which was saying a lot about herself.

"Yeah, when Mr. Lincoln drives me to the store, we'll talk." Marnie scoffed to her brother as she took Sophie's hand as they walked up to the gate together.

"It's locked?" Cherry asked out of confusion as she saw the gate was locked.

"Better head home." Dylan suggested.

"No way," Marnie replied. "This is the perfect chance for me to try my powers."

"Powers?" Dylan scoffed. "What powers?"

"Well, I don't know, I haven't tried them yet." Marnie shrugged.

"Give 'em a whirl." Atticus said to Marnie.

"Uh... Abracadabra..." Marnie tried out, but that didn't work. "Open Sesame?"

Dylan just rolled his eyes at his older sister.

"Try making something up." Cherry said.

"Trust me, it works as long as the words rhyme." Atticus added.

"Uh... Let's see..." Marnie pondered as she was going to try her best. "'Big iron lock that keeps us out, Open up your big iron mouth'!"

"You call that a spell?" Dylan scoffed again. "'Out' and 'Mouth' don't even rhyme!"

"Maybe I can get the lock to open." Atticus said.

Marnie and Dylan soon began to argue as Atticus looked ready to open the gate as Sophie stared at it slightly until it opened on its own.

"Huh?" Atticus asked out of confusion.

"Sophie, how did you do that?" Marnie asked her little sister.

"I pushed." Sophie replied.

"Yeah, but what happened to the lock?" Cherry asked.

"I wished the lock'd turn into a frog." Sophie smiled innocently.

They soon looked down to see a croaking frog by the gate who then looked back up at them.

"Wow." Atticus said.

They soon rushed over to Aggie's house to go see her since the gate was opened. She was now in the kitchen making something. She sensed something in the air and soon opened the door to see her grandchildren.


	4. Chapter 4

"Hi, Grandma!" Sophie smiled.

"Oh, my stars!" Aggie smiled back as she hugged and kissed her grandchildren, but was very surprised to see them here in Halloween Town. "How did you get here?"

"They followed us here." Atticus said.

"We took the bus." Sophie smiled.

"I came to start my training, Grandma." Marnie informed.

"Your training?" Aggie asked before laughing a bit. "I thought there was someone eavesdropping."

They soon came inside.

"Sorry about this, Aggie." Cherry said to the witch woman.

"Oh, no harm done," Aggie smiled. "I suppose I can assume their mother doesn't know they're here."

"No, but she'll most likely think you brought then with us behind her back." Atticus said.

"Oh, yes, she'll be very upset when she finds them gone." Aggie agreed.

"Can't we just call her?" Dylan asked.

"No, no, dear," Aggie replied apologetically. "I'm afraid we haven't worked out long-distance calls between worlds yet. No, I'll have to take you home myself."

"That would be the right thing to do." Cherry said.

"Aw, but you can't take us home." Marnie pouted.

"Yeah!" Sophie agreed. "We wanna help you fight the bad thing." 

"Yeah, the bad thing or the force field, whatever it is," Marnie added. "You said you needed another Cromwell witch. That could be me. You can train me!"

"She's right." Atticus said.

"Yeah, well, I suppose it would be all right if you could stay a little while," Aggie smiled. "As long as we get you home before it's midnight in the Mortal World."

"How long does that give us?" Cherry asked.

"What do you mean?" Marnie asked her. "Midnight is only two hours from now!"

"Actually, the Mortal Realm and the Magic Realm both work differently with time." Atticus said.

"Oh, I'm afraid they're right, dears," Aggie agreed with Cherry and Atticus. "Two hours there, might be two days here, or two weeks if you're on vacation!"

"What's this, Grandma?" Dylan asked, looking into the cauldron.

"It's a cauldron," Atticus taught him. "Most witches use it to see something using it like a magic mirror or just to make potions."

"I call it my Witch's Glass," Aggie smiled as she waved her hands over the top. "It's been handed down through the Cromwell clan over many generations; I've been using it to keep my eye on things."

"Like what?" Cherry asked.

"Now the glass shows me that some evil force is at work here in Halloween Town." Aggie replied.

There was soon evil laughter heard from the cauldron. Dylan was very shocked at what he was witnessing.

"Also, the worst has yet to come." Aggie told them.

"Oh, my..." Atticus said.

"Is there any way to stop it?" Cherry asked.

"I'll show you," Aggie sighed. "Follow me."

"Lead the way." Atticus said.

Aggie came toward a special case to show out to them. "Merlin himself used this talisman to end the Dark Ages over in the Mortal World, and I think it's just the thing to tackle our troubles here in Halloween Town," she educated them. "Especially after his horrible break-up with one Zelda Spellman."

"Zelda dated Merlin?" Atticus and Cherry asked out of surprise.

"Yes, she did," Aggie nodded. "I forget why they broke up though, but it was pretty hard on the poor man."

"It must have been hard on Zelda too." Cherry said.

There was then beeping heard from the microwave.

"Ooh!" Aggie smiled and then opened the microwave door.

"Are you cooking chowder, Grandma?" Sophie asked. "I like chowder."

"I don't think she's cooking." Cherry said.

"I'm not," Aggie confirmed as she brought out a tiny cauldron before stirring the substance on the inside. "This is Witch's Brew. It's a little recipe that I picked up in the sixth century. Around King Arthur's time."

"Wow." Atticus smiled.

"King Arthur?!" Marnie asked in shock.

"How's this stuff gonna help?" Dylan asked.

"Oh, by bringing this talisman back to life." Aggie replied as she opened the case and took out a silver scepter that had a white orb on the end.

"Cool." Atticus smiled.

"Pretty!" Sophie added.

"Are you gonna use your magic to raise some spirits, have a big seance, and call on the Forces of Darkness to get it going?" Marnie asked her grandmother.

"No, I'm just going to fill it up, and see if the lights come on." Aggie smiled.

"Um, okay?" Atticus replied out of confusion.

Aggie soon began to do what she said she was going to do.

"How much?" Cherry asked.

"If I can get it lit and install it properly, it should suffice to drive away this force that threatens us." Aggie replied as she didn't put in too much.

"You just fill it up?" Cherry asked.

"I do have to say a spell over it," Aggie replied. "That's why I came to ask their mother to help me. You see, spells are much more powerful when more than one witch joins in. Especially if they're Cromwells."

"Well, I'll help you!" Marnie smiled.

"I'm not sure, Marnie." Atticus said.

"That's very sweet of you, dear, but you haven't been trained yet," Aggie added in agreement. "And since your mother isn't of the mind to help, I guess I'm just on my own."

"I can help." Cherry said.

"You wanna help someone?" Atticus teased.

Cherry stuck her tongue out at him before giving a small half-smile to Aggie.

"Thank you, dear." Aggie said.

"Just tell me what to do." Cherry replied.

'I've never seen Cherry like this.' Atticus thought to himself with a smile.

"All right, dear, you hold onto this while I chant." Aggie instructed as she handed the talisman to Cherry after sealing it shut.

Cherry nodded as she accepted the talisman owned by Merlin himself.

"Bet y March, bet y Guythur, bet y Gugaun, Cledyfrutm anoeth bid!" Aggie chanted as she sprinkled on the orb part of the talisman with special dust.

The talisman soon started to look like it would start. The orb glowed which excited everyone at first. Unfortunately, the light quickly died out.

"Oh, drat!" Aggie frowned firmly. "That's what I get for trying to use instant. It just doesn't work like it does when you make it from scratch."

"Then let's get the ingredients we need " Cherry said.

"That's something I can help you with, Grandma," Marnie smiled. "I can cook!"

"If you count pouring cereal," Dylan smirked before getting shoved. "Ow!"

"Let us all help." Atticus said.

"Well, let's look at the original recipe." Aggie replied as she then led them to her open book.

"What do we need?" Cherry asked.

"Now, let's see here..." Aggie took a look at her spell book. "'Vampire's fang... Hair of a werewolf... Sweat of a ghost'..." 

Cherry looked nervous at the mention of the vampire's fang.

"I suppose we could get these ingredients in town." Aggie then said which made Cherry breathe in relief.

"Whew." Cherry sighed.

The grandchildren cheered out of excitement about exploring Halloween Town with their grandmother.

"Let's get started." Atticus said.

Everyone then took a long look at Dylan.

"All right." Dylan soon smiled to all of them.

"Great." Atticus said.

"Yes!" Marnie cheered.

"Then it's settled." Aggie smiled to Cherry, Atticus, Marnie, Dylan, and Sophie.

"Let's go." Atticus smiled back.

"Yeah!" Cherry cheered.


	5. Chapter 5

They soon went through the streets of Halloween Town. There were many monster teenagers who were students from Monster High, but they were on vacation from their classes this time around.

"Cool." Atticus smiled.

"Is there gonna be a Halloween Party today, Grandma?" Sophie beamed as she held Aggie's hand. "Everybody's all dressed up!"

"Oh, this is the way we always dress, dear," Aggie smiled. "The people who started your Halloween just imitated our traditions, Mortals see, mortals do. That's the way your mother ran into your father, by crashing a Halloween party! He loved her witch's costume."

"That's romantic." Cherry said.

"Hi, Aggie!" A one-eyed woman smiled and waved.

"Hello, Sadie." Aggie smiled back.

Even Dylan seemed to be in a good mood as they explored.

"You sure are in a good mood." Atticus said to Dylan.

"Yeah, what're you so happy about?" Marnie added. "I thought you didn't wanna come."

"I decided this really is a dream, so why worry?" Dylan replied.

"Non-Believer." Cherry muttered.

"I like Halloween Town," Sophie said. "But why do you have to live so far away, Grandma?"

"Well, there was a time when humans and monsters and witches and vampires and all the rest of us could be together," Aggie explained. "It was the Dark Times. That was a bad mix, because humans feared us and tried to destroy us. So we did our best to make them miserable in return. But it was turning us evil, which we are not! So, we decided to create our own world."

"Amazing." Atticus said.

"Oh, kinda like when Marnie and I got separate rooms." Dylan smirked only to be nudged again.

"Precisely," Aggie continued. "From that day on, we were able to settle down and have homes and children and jobs. And an excellent bowling league." She then waved to a group of monsters who came by and waved back to her, one of them carrying a bowling ball which looked like a pumpkin.

"Cool." Atticus said.

"We get really good movies," Aggie smiled as they passed the theater before seeing it was closed. "Like 'It's a Wonderful Death'... Oh, closed!"

"That's too bad." Cherry said before bumping into someone.

There was a snarl and a hiss heard from the person she had run into.

"Oh, um, sorry..." Cherry blinked.

"Aggie, wasn't that your friend from earlier?" Atticus asked.

"Harriet?" Aggie asked herself out of concern. She then looked around until she saw the man from earlier walking down the street. "The Mayor! Oh, children." She then told them as she went to speak with the mayor about something important.

They soon went to the ice cream store. A yeti like monster smiled as he served a current customer with a teenage yeti girl beside him.

"Have a 'cool' day!" The yeti girl said before giggling. "Heh... I make a joke!"

The yeti was happy that his daughter was happy. 

"'Abominable Snowman's Dessert Emporium'." Atticus read aloud.

The Mayor himself was coming inside before Aggie and the others.

"Um, hello, Mr. Mayor, can we speak with you?" Cherry spoke up.

The mayor looked over and came toward the small group in the ice cream shoppe. "Of course, hello again, Soapy." he then smiled to the kids.

"SOPHIE!" Everyone else corrected.

"Sophie, of course, you know, I think I have an extra sundae..." The Mayor said before reaching into his pocket and took out a treat for the youngest. "Aha!"

Sophie accepted it and began to eat it as it was very sweet.

"Kalabar, we just ran into Harriet and she's completely changed." Aggie told the Mayor of Halloween Town.

"Yeah, it looked like she changed into a completely different witch, but she was fine a few moments ago." Atticus said.

"Her face, she looked like a wild animal..." Aggie continued. 

"Really?" Kalabar asked them.

"This is what I've been telling you about," Aggie whispered. "If she's like the others... By tomorrow, she'll have disappeared all together."

"Oh, my..." Cherry frowned.

"I have to apologize to you, Aggie," Kalabar told the woman. "I didn't take you seriously about this at first. I think you all have uncovered something very serious."

"What is it?" Aggie asked. "What's wrong?"

"Well, I don't have all the details yet but I do know one thing," Kalabar replied. "I want you all to leave this alone for now. Especially the children. It's much too dangerous for you to be involved with by yourself. Promise me that?"

"But, sir, me and Cherry have faced worse than whatever we're facing." Atticus said.

Cherry nodded in agreement.

"Cromwells are impossible, I expected better from someone like a Fudo." Kalabar replied.

Atticus was about to show him his strength and magic, but didn't want to do it to ruin this day for Cherry.

"Just give me two days," Kalabar said on his way out of the ice cream shop. "Just two days. that's all." he then tipped his hat and walked off.

"You have a 'creamy day'." The abominable snowman's daughter giggled.

"Thanks... Abbey." Cherry replied, reading the teenage yeti's name tag.

"You're welcome." Abbey smiled.

"Come along, children, but let's be real careful," Aggie told the younger ones. "And Marnie, not a word--Oh, Marnie!" she then gasped in dismay. "She's found one of the brooms."

"Well, at least that will keep her busy." Atticus said.

"Well, Cherry, do you ride broomsticks?" Aggie asked the perky goth.

"I'm a little out of practice," Cherry replied. "I haven't been on one since with my friend Kiki."

"Well then, now is a good time to buy one and practice." Aggie said.

"Wow, flying brooms!" Marnie smiled as she came to a store.

Aggie and the others soon came to see her as she looked excited to fly her very own broomstick. Cherry began to look excited as she looked at the many broomsticks to choose from.

"Grandma, look at these things!" Marnie beamed.

"Yes," Aggie smiled in agreement. "They are a bit more snazzier than when I was a girl."

"Can I have one, please?" Marnie begged her grandmother.

"Yes, well, it is the rite of passage for witches your age." Aggie gave in. 

"Yes!" Marnie beamed as she hugged her grandmother in thanks.

"Well, it looks like you've got your eye on our Windsweeper 5000." The salesman said as he seemed to move like Elvis Presley.

"Is that a good one?" Marnie asked.

"Well, let's see here," The salesman picked up the broom that Marnie had eyed. "Unibody construction, whoo! Chrome detailing, a microchip directional system, well, it's the top of the line! If you think you can handle it."

"Oh, handle it," Aggie chuckled. "This is a Cromwell you're talking to, dear. She'll be an expert in no time."

"Check it out." The salesman smiled and handed the broom out to Marnie.

"Which broomstick would you recommend for me?" Cherry asked the salesman.

"Hmm... You seem like an interesting girl yourself..." The salesman replied as he walked her to see some special broomsticks, one was a dark purple with white skulls designed on it. "How's this?"

"Oh, I love this design!" Cherry beamed as she took the broomstick with glee. "It reminds me of Gaz."

"It's so you." Atticus smiled at his best human friend.

"Uh, Cherry?" Marnie asked. "How do you make this thing go?"

"By magic of course," Cherry replied. "Though, usually, I ride on the back. That's what I did with my friend Kiki."

"Oh... I knew that." Marnie said.

"How sweet," A boy who came over commented. "Buying little Marley and Cheese here their first brooms, huh?"

"It's Marnie and Cherry." The girls corrected out of irritation.

"This is a local boy, Luke." Aggie told the others.

Atticus began to try to not hurt Luke.

"Hey, don't sell me too short there, Grammy," Luke scoffed to Aggie. "I'm something of a big cheese around here," he then looked toward Marnie. "Maybe I could show you around sometime, buy you an ice cream. The Abominable Snowman and his daughter Abbey have a little shop down the street."

Cherry had a feeling this jerk would be turned down soon and she was right.

"You know, I was hungry, but then I smelled something stinky," Marnie scrunched up her nose against Luke. "It must've been the big cheese."

"Perhaps another time." Aggie said as she took Marnie away from Luke. 

"Yeah, like never!" Dylan added.

Atticus smirked as he saw that coming.

"You know, if you people were smart, you'd be nice to me," Luke glared. "I'm friends with some very powerful creatures around here, you know!" he then slipped and nearly tripped over the broomsticks, but knocked them down from their displays. 

"Smooth, I'll call the local authorities." Cherry deadpanned.

"And I think we can handle your friends if we ever see them." Atticus said.

"Oh, that Luke dude..." The salesman commented as Luke left. "He's turned into such a wiener, no wonder he got expelled from Monster High."

"No wonder." Atticus said.

"All right, now," The salesman soon looked to Cherry and Marnie. "If you wanna be totally rad, you've got to have the Day-Glo bristles," he then looked directly at Cherry. "Now the Purple Dragonfly you got there, is awesome, but I prefer Metallic Blue myself."

"I'm keeping this." Cherry approved of the broomstick she had.

"And I'll keep this one." Marnie said as she held the broomstick she chose herself.

"Well, you want me to wrap those up for you?" The salesman offered. 

"No!" Aggie replied. "We'll fly them out!"

"That's right." Cherry nodded.

They were soon in the sky with their broomsticks. Aggie flew with Marnie while Atticus flew with Cherry.

"Augh, this is like Kiki!" Cherry cried out as she had on her pilot cap and goggles.

"This is fun!" Atticus smiled.

"Yeah, Grandma, this is totally cool!" Marnie beamed. 

"Well, there's a reason why witches don't drive minivans!" Aggie smiled to her.

"Wahoo!" Atticus smiled.

Cherry had fun, but she soon looked a little sick to her stomach.

"Well, how does magic make it go?" Marnie asked.

"Magic is very really simple," Aggie told her. "All you have to do is want something and then let yourself have it!"

The two then shared a laugh as Atticus and Cherry came to their sides.

"Now just hang on tight," Aggie told Marnie. "Let's see what these can do!"

"I'm feeling a little sick." Cherry groaned.

"Aw, come on, Cherry, the fun's just getting started!" Atticus told her.

"What a witch's and wiccan's life it is!" Aggie giggled as they sped up in the sky.

Cherry soon gulped and tried to settle her stomach. Luckily for her, they were soon landing.

Once they touched the ground, Cherry took deep breaths as sweat ran down her face.

"Who's next?" Atticus smiled.

"Me next! Me next!" Sophie jumped up and down out of excitement.

"You next, you next." Aggie giggled and kissed her cheek.

"I don't think so." A female voice sharply replied.

"When did you get here, Mrs. Piper?" Atticus asked after seeing it was Gwen.

"I just can't believe that my mother brought them here in the first place!" Gwen glared to Aggie after she hugged her kids. 

"Well, I didn't," Aggie told her daughter. "They came to see me. I only brought Cherry and Atticus."

"I wanted to help Grandma fight the bad thing." Sophie told her mother. 

"And I came to get my training." Marnie added.

"On her own." Atticus said.

"I tried to stop 'em, Mom, but they hypnotized me!" Dylan spoke up.

"And I thought you were brave." Marnie scoffed to him.

"Hey, this is Mom." Dylan replied.

"Stop it," Gwen glared. "I don't want to hear any more excuses. I want you all to just get back on the bus, because we're all going home."

"No." Cherry spoke up.

Gwen looked back at her.

"Ma'am, your mother needs help," Cherry told the woman. "And since you won't help her, she needs the only other Cromwell, and that's your daughter Marnie."

"She is not a witch!" Gwen glared.

"Yes, she is!" Cherry glared back. "Don't lie about that; she is a witch and you can't protect her or Sophie forever!"

"But there is so much more involved in this that Marnie does not understand." Gwen replied.

"I understand that I am here and I've got a broom," Marnie spoke up. "And I'm gonna learn everything that Grandma can teach me."

"You will not!" Gwen glared.

"But you are just too afraid of this world to train her to start controlling her powers, as for Dylan, he's most likely mortal." Cherry said.

"It's Marnie's birthright!" Aggie argued with her daughter.

"She was born in the human world and human is what she'll be!" Gwen argued back with her mother.

"No, I won't!" Marnie stepped in. 

"You put that broom down right now, young lady, or you are grounded." Gwen threatened.

"No, Marnie, this decision is for yours to make." Cherry said.

Marnie felt hurt by her mother's words as she had a lot to think about right now. 

"Say goodbye to Grandma, Cherry, and Atticus, everybody," Gwen told her kids. "It's time for us to go home."

Cherry growled as she soon felt angry with Gwen and soon lunged out to tackle the woman.

"Cherry, no." Atticus stopped his human best friend.

Cherry reached out, but couldn't get to Gwen due to Atticus's restraint.

"Bye, Grandma." Sophie frowned.

"Bye..." Dylan added softly.

Gwen soon saw her eldest child wasn't joining. "Marnie?"

"Thanks, Grandma," Marnie wearily smiled to Aggie and handed her the broomstick back. "It was a great ride." She then kissed the older woman on the cheek before going off with her mother and siblings. 

Gwen was about to hold Marnie, but the teenage girl just walked past her affections.

"You totally deserved that." Cherry said to Gwen.

Gwen gave a long and firm look before going off with her kids to leave Halloween Town and never come back.

"You can never come back~..." Cherry said in a haunting tone of voice.

"Of course they can," Aggie replied. "Next Halloween."

"Come on, Cherry, let's explore the sights." Atticus tried to cheer his best friend up.

"I hate Gwen." Cherry glared.

"Now, now, dear..." Aggie said.

Cherry firmly pouted as Atticus and Aggie took her to explore Halloween Town.


	6. Chapter 6

There was a two-headed man behind the bus station table while Marnie refused to talk with her mother again as they were about to go back into the Mortal Realm, and where the two-headed man was no help at all for Gwen.

"WHAT?!" The man soon asked once Gwen caught their attention. 

"Excuse me, will you please tell me what time the next bus leaves to the Mortal World?" Gwen asked. '

And where that soon got the two-headed man to start getting confused of when the next bus would be.

"And I'm never going to school again!" Marnie continued to rant. "And I'm gonna move someplace really far away and join a motorcycle gang!"

Gwen groaned as she should have expected this. "Marnie, this is not our world, now drop it!"

"Well, it used to be your world," Marnie scoffed. "Are you gonna get tired of us too?! 'Oh, sorry, those aren't my kids, they used to be my kids, but I've moved on'."

"Marnie, not now!" Gwen scolded.

The two heads continued to argue with each other.

"Excuse me, what about the bus?!" Gwen demanded.

"It'll be several hours," The two heads told her in overlapped unison. "Yeah, several hours... Uh... Engine trouble, yeah, that's it. Scheduling problems. Don't worry about a thing, it'll be fine."

"Well, whatya know?" Marnie smirked to her mother. "The bus isn't running! I guess we can't leave after all."

"Yay!" Sophie cheered to this.

"There must be a way to get a bus to the Mortal World." Gwen said.

"Hey, The Mayor seems like a nice guy," Dylan suggested. "Maybe he could help."

"Dylan!" Marnie rolled her eyes and nudged her brother again.

"Ow!" Dylan whined.

"That's a very good idea," Gwen said to her son. "Let's go."

Marnie soon pouted as she took Sophie's hand and they went to see The Mayor of Halloween Town, and where he would be informed that he had visitors.

"Someone here to see ya, Boss." A cartoony vampire bat told the man before looking to Gwen and whistled to her.

Kalabar soon shut the cartoony vampire bat back in the desk. "Gwen!" He then smiled to the woman. 

"Kalabar!" Gwen smiled back in surprise. "You're the mayor?"

"That's right." Drell appeared.

Gwen gasped slightly. Marnie, Dylan, and Sophie looked surprised and confused.

"Well, I'm yes," Kalabar smiled toward Gwen. "You didn't hear about the election? It's just a title really."

"I heard about it." Drell said.

"Who are you?" Marnie asked Drell.

"My name is Drell Batsworth." Drell said.

"Nice to see you in Halloween Town." Kalabar smiled to the warlock.

"Same to you, Kalabar." Drell said.

"Anyway, I have big plans for all of us here in Halloween Town," Kalabar smiled proudly. "You are the last people I ever expected to see here. It's been a long time, huh?"

Gwen smiled and nodded to the Mayor of Halloween Town. Kalabar soon turned away and gave a black rose to Gwen as a token of his affection which soon grew to be a lush red rose.

"Whoa." Drell said.

"You always did let your magic do the talking," Gwen replied as she accepted the rose. "Thank you."

"You used to like it, or have you forgotten that part?" Kalabar smirked.

"Uh, no..." Gwen replied which seemed to surprise her kids about the interactions.

"Now, is there a reason why you came to him?" Drell asked.

"Why else would she come here?" Kalabar smiled. "I always hoped that she'd come back, and now, here she is."

Gwen giggled sheepishly.

"Say, I oughta show you around," Kalabar suggested to Gwen. "We could take the River Styx Cruise, have a little dinner, then I could show you all around our old haunts, eh?" 

"Um, actually, Drell's right," Gwen replied. "I'm trying to leave. Uh... It seems the bus was delayed, and I was hoping that the--"

"That the mayor might help?" Kalabar guessed.

Gwen nodded. "...I'm sorry."

A woman with a pin cushion lower half soon came in. "Excuse me, sir! Miss Sticky here, I'll get to the point," she then told the mayor. "Have a very urgent message. Ooh!"

Drell stepped back with the kids so they wouldn't get pricked by her pins.

"Somebody's on pins and needles!" The woman giggled to Kalabar as she came to see him with notes.

"We can tell." Drell said.

"Pins and needles!" Miss Sticky giggled to Dylan before leaving the room.

Kalabar sighed before looking to Gwen. "This is an emergency, won't take long, just stay put," he told the family. "I'll see what I can do for you when I return."

"Thank you." Gwen smiled.

Kalabar soon left the office. "Kids." He nodded to Marnie, Dylan, and Sophie on the way out.

"What was that all about?" Dylan asked.

"Well obviously, he's Mom's old boyfriend." Marnie smirked.

"You're right." Drell added.

"Drell!" Gwen cried out. 

"Hey, it's not my fault if you like his magic fingers." Drell smirked.

Gwen simply blushed from embarrassment.

"Did you come here for a reason or just humiliate me?" She then asked the warlock.

"I've come here to stop you four from leaving." Drell said.

"I like this guy." Marnie smiled.

"We have to leave!" Gwen told Drell like it was almost a crime to be here.

"So, you want your mother to disappear next?!" Drell glared at Gwen.

"What?!" Gwen squeaked slightly.

"Oh, haven't you noticed anything strange going on?" Drell asked. "This is part of an evil plan to doom Halloween Town! It's worse than Oogie Boogie from where Jack Skellington lives, trust me, I know!"

"But why? My mother hasn't done anything bad." Gwen said.

"It's only a matter of time..." Drell said before looking around. "I better find Cherry and Atticus too."

"They're with Grandma." Sophie said.

"There's still time..." Drell replied. "Gwen, you stay here, I'll be right back." He then took out his wand to teleport to where Cherry and Atticus were.


	7. Chapter 7

Cherry was sitting upside down in a tree with Draculaura in her bat form. "Sorry, Draculaura, but this is just making me dizzy." She then told the vampire girl as she didn't usually hang upside down or turn into a bat.

"I understand." Draculaura said.

A bat in a pink and white dress soon flew over to join the girls.

"Oh, Count Fabulous, how 'fangtastic' of you to make it!" Draculaura beamed to her pet. "Cherry, this is my BFF: Bat Friend Forever, Count Fabulous."

"Nice dress." Cherry smirked to the bat.

"Thank you." The bat smiled.

Cherry soon got up from the tree and stood up straight, trying to maintain her balance since she was a bit dizzy.

"Ooh, nice moves," Draculaura smiled. "You could be a Fearleader."

"Yeeeeeah... No." Cherry disagreed since she wasn't very fond of cheerleaders. She soon got down to the ground.

Atticus soon watched them as he looked over to see Aggie as Luke came beside her and decided to go toward them in case the boy tried anything funny, and where it looked like he was. 

"Go away, Luke," Aggie sighed to the delinquent. "I'm not in the mood."

"Family trouble, huh, Grammy?" Luke smirked. "Guess it's just you again."

"Go away." Atticus glared at Luke.

"What? I'm just talking." Luke shrugged innocently.

"Sure you are." Atticus rolled his eyes.

"You know, it must get pretty frustrating," Luke smirked to Aggie. "Fighting this thing all alone, no one believing you."

"What do you know about that?" Aggie glared at him.

"I know you've got Merlin's talisman, and he wants it." Luke replied.

"How does this 'he' know about it?" Atticus asked.

"'He'? Who is 'he'?" Aggie added.

"Don't know, huh?" Luke smirked. "It's funny, 'cuz he knows all about you, Grammy. And about that brew you're working on too."

"How?" Atticus asked.

"If he's so powerful, why is he hiding?" Aggie snorted toward Luke. 

"Yeah, why doesn't he reveal himself... Whoever he is?" Atticus added with a glare.

"You see, that's why I'm here," Luke smirked. "He wants to reveal himself, to you."

"Then why doesn't he come and show himself?" Atticus asked.

"Come on, Grammy, admit it," Luke continued to mock Aggie. "You're dying to know, right? Or are the big, powerful Cromwell witch, and pathetic Fudo Wiccan afraid?" 

"I don't fear him or any creature, and based on what I know about this young man, he doesn't either," Aggie glared, defending both herself and Atticus. "Take us to him."

"Yeah, take us to where he is." Atticus added.

Luke nodded and then led them to where he wanted to take them and Aggie and Atticus followed behind him.

"Be right back, Cherry!" Atticus called out on the way. "Have fun with your ghoulfriends!"

"Okay, Atticus." Cherry replied as she was meeting Clawdeen's pet cat who was known as Crescent.

Atticus and Aggie continued to follow him.

"I wonder where the others are?" Cherry asked. "There's no way they could've left Halloween Town already."

A zombie girl with glasses moaned as she seemed to be trying to answer Cherry's question.

"I'm sorry...?" Cherry asked as she didn't understand.

"I can translate." Draculaura said.

"Um, thanks." Cherry blinked.

The zombie girl moaned and groaned again.

"Ghoulia says the others are at City Hall." Draculaura told Cherry.

"Oh, thanks, um, Ghoulia." Cherry replied.

Drell soon appeared. Cherry was on her way to City Hall with Draculaura and Clawdeen's help, before she suddenly bumped into the warlock.

"Watch where you're go--" Drell glared until he then saw the perky goth. "Oh, it's just you, Cherry."

"Drell?" Cherry asked. "What're you doing here?"

Drell began to tell her why he was there.

"Danger?" Cherry asked. "But who is this 'dangerous one'? Aggie and Atticus went with Luke."

"Hmm... I have a feeling he's linked to him." Drell said.

"Oh..." Cherry replied. "Well, this was a fun Halloween, I forgive Atticus now."

"Keep your pants on, Clyde!" Drell glared slightly. "You always do this!"

"I know." Cherry sighed.

"Now, come on." Drell said.

Cherry followed after Drell as she tapped her knuckles together. Ghoulia groaned as they then went off.

"See ya later, Ghoulia," Drell told the zombie girl before looking to Cherry. "I think you'd like her, she's a genius at school."

"Really?" Cherry asked.

"Oh, yes, she's smarter than she looks..." Drell replied. "She even writes and draws her own stories."

"Hm..." Cherry hummed as she looked to the zombie girl on their way off.

They continued to follow Luke, Atticus, and Aggie. They were coming to the movie theater and Luke had unlocked so they could come through.

"Should have known." Atticus said.

Luke opened the doors and then let them inside with them following. Aggie took a candle that had a small flame as they explored the old and dusty movie theater.

"Whoa." Atticus said.

There appeared to be rotting corpses in the theater seats swallowed by cobwebs. Luke smirked as he took his own seat while Aggie and Atticus walked down the aisle together.

"Harriet?" Aggie gasped as she held the candle up against who looked like her dear friend.

Atticus soon looked to where Harriet was looking. There appeared to be a black vortex on the theater screen with a tornado. Luke smirked as the wind blew inside of the room and the flame on Aggie's candle went out. Soon, there out came a dark cloaked figure who evilly laughed at the crowd.

"Let me guess, you're the bad thing?" Atticus asked the dark cloaked figure.

"Welcome to my museum." The figure told him with a laugh. 

"So this is why so many have disappeared," Aggie glared. "First you put them under an evil spell and then you turn them into statues."

"NO! Not statues," The figure replied. "They're very much alive! Merely frozen in time until I need them."

"That's impressive." Atticus said.

"Frozen to do what?" Aggie demanded. "To destroy our world?"

"Ah, I know you have Merlin's talisman," The figure smirked. "Give it to me!"

"She'll never give to you!" Atticus glared at the figure before smirking. "Besides, she doesn't have it with her."

"Soon, your hold over the creatures of Halloween Town will be broken forever!" Aggie glared. 

"NO, YOU FOOLISH WITCH!" The figure boomed. "You think your magic is more powerful than mine? You have a Wiccan by your side!"

"Yeah, as if that could happen." Luke laughed.

"My magic is more powerful than you could imagine." Atticus said.

"There is nothing neither you can do to stop me!" The figure mocked. 

"Zip, nada, zero, goose eggs." Luke added.

"I will bend the creatures of this world to my will, one-by-one!" The figure continued. 

"Two-by-two, and three-by-three." Luke added.

"Will you shut up?!" The figure glared at him. 

"Sorry." Luke pouted.

"You had that coming." Atticus said to Luke.

"Give me the talisman!" The figure demanded. 

"Never!" Aggie glared.

The figure narrowed his yellowed eyes. "Then suffer the consequences." He then zapped an energy blast against Atticus and Aggie.

Atticus soon used his magic to block the energy blast. Luke seemed shocked at the dark magic caused by the figure almost as if he didn't expect for that to happen. The dark figure shot more blasts only for Atticus and Aggie to dodge them and one of the blasts hit one of the creatures which sent him into the dark vortex. 

"No, you said they'd be safe!" Luke said to the figure.

"You cannot escape me, old woman and little boy!" The dark figure laughed.

"I'm a teenager!" Atticus glared.

"The creature hasn't been born that's quick enough to catch a Cromwell or Fudo!" Aggie also glared.

"Except for maybe Delilah Fudo." The figure smirked as he mentioned Atticus's aunt who had been missing for a long time.

Crystal spikes soon started to appear.

"You were the one that sent her into that dimension?!" Atticus glared.

"Maybe I was, maybe I wasn't, ah, crystal spikes, I see?" The figure smirked. "So, the legends of you being Sombra's heir are true."

Atticus began to try to not let his anger take over.

"Mother?" Gwen's voice called.

"Grandma!" Marnie's voice added.

"GET THEM!" The figure snapped once he saw the family come over.

"Atticus!" Drell and Cherry called out.

"Leave my family alone!" Aggie and Atticus glared at the figure.

"I'm out of here." Luke chickened out.

"Gwen, stop him!" Drell told her.

"Wastrel youth of benighted hours, Be thee vanquished by my powers!" Gwen recited which made sunflowers grow onto Luke as he escaped. "I said powers, not flowers!" 

"You haven't used your powers for years," Drell said. "You're a bit rusty."

Cherry snickered slightly. "Flowers..."

"Way to go, Mom!" Marnie cheered.

"This is your last chance!" The figure sneered. "GIVE ME THE TALISMAN!" 

"For the last time, no!" Atticus glared.

"Keep your brother and sister back!" Gwen told Marnie as she went to help her mother.

The dark figure shot another blast which then hit Gwen as she got Aggie out of the way.

"Mom!" Marnie cried out. 

"Gwen." Aggie frowned. 

"Oh, no..." Drell added.

"Sleep now, Agatha Cromwell and Atticus Fudo, and when you wake, I will be your master," The dark figure smirked. "Unless, Fudo, you would like to join me. It would make your Uncle Sombra very proud."

"I'll never join the dark side!" Atticus glared. 

"Then you shall sleep." The dark figure said as he blasted both Aggie and Atticus only for Drell to take the blast for Atticus.

"DRELL!" Cherry and Atticus cried out.

"Come on!" Dylan took his older sister's arm.

"We gotta save 'em!" Marnie told him. 

"We can't save them unless we save ourselves," Dylan replied. "Come on!" 

"He's right." Drell groaned.

The dark figure groaned from the light as Sophie opened the door outside, showing the sunshine. 

"Marnie!" Aggie called to her eldest granddaughter.

"Grandma!" Marnie called back. 

"Go!" Aggie told her.

"We'll be all right, go!" Drell added. "I believe in you all! Even you, Cherry! You're stronger than you think you are!" 

What Drell said touched Cherry's heart. Atticus took Cherry's hand and ran with her since she was frozen in the moment. The ones hit by the blasts were soon frozen by the spell. 

The group was soon outside. They rushed out of the theater and climbed down the fire escape.

"Easy, Cherry, take it one step at a time." Atticus said since these were steps that Cherry had gone down before.

Cherry soon made it down and ran with them to get away from the theater.

"What're we doing?!" Dylan panicked. "We gotta get back to Grandma's house!" 

"No, we're safe in the light." Atticus said.

"I wonder if he's a vampire?" Cherry commented since the figure seemed allergic to the sunlight.

"I want Mommy and Grandma." Sophie whimpered. 

"Don't worry, you'll have them back." Atticus assured her.

"Yes," Marnie agreed. "Your big sister is gonna get Mommy and Grandma back."

"You are?" Sophie asked.

"Well, duh!" Marnie smiled. "Of course I am! But there are some things we need to get first."

"You're gonna do some shopping?" Dylan complained. "Can't this wait?" 

"No." Atticus said.

"We have to finish that Witch's Brew," Cherry added. "I bet that getting the talisman lit is the only way to save your mother, grandmother, and--Ugh..." she then groaned before throwing up in her mouth. "Drell too..." she then added sluggishly. "We'll need the recipe though." 

"First, hair of a werewolf." Atticus said.

"And sweat of a ghost." Marnie added as she showed a list. 

Dylan looked disgusted at the ingredients. 

"And one fang from a vampire." Atticus soon concluded.

Cherry stepped back.

"No, Cherry, we're not going to use one of your fangs." Atticus said.

"Phew!" Cherry breathed in relief.

"We're Cromwells," Marnie smiled before putting her hand out. "Together, we can conquer anything." 

"That's right." Atticus said.

Sophie put her hand on her sister's hand. 

"I don't know..." Dylan sighed to his sisters before joining his hand in. 

"Let's go." Atticus said.

"Come on." Marnie nodded in agreement.

"I know the perfect first stop for you guys." Clawdeen smirked as she took them somewhere to find hair from a wolf besides her own.


	8. Chapter 8

They soon came to a beauty salon where a werewolf appeared to be styling many monster ladies while a fairy manicured a mummy's nails.

"First stop: Wolfie's." Marnie told the others.

"Perfect." Atticus said.

"Can I help you kids?" The stylist asked after he took care of a woman with poofy pink and purple hair. 

"Oh, yeah, um," Marnie stammered. "I was just wondering if you had any, um, part-time jobs available. Maybe like, after school, or something?"

"No, no, no, I'm sorry, we don't," The stylist replied. "Oh, this sulfuric acid treatment is coming along nicely. It's really gonna split your ends and bring out those roots, baby." 

"Uh, we could help." Atticus stammered.

The stylist looked to him.

"Oh, yes, it's been Atticus's lifelong dream to be a beautician." Cherry added.

"Careful, oh, Loki!" The stylist stopped one helper who was with a plant-based monster. "She's an herb, not a shrub, think salad: light and crispy!" 

Loki nodded and then tried better this time. Clawdeen soon pointed to the hairdryer. Cherry picked up the hairdryer which worried the stylist.

"D-Don't touch that, put that down!" The stylist told her.

"Don't worry; I've handled hairdryers all the time." Cherry said before turning it on.

Suddenly, flames shot out from the hairdryer.

"That's new!" Cherry's eyes widened.

"Looks like hairdryers work different here." Atticus said.

Dylan picked up a razor.

"Give me that." Clawdeen told Cherry as the perky goth struggled with the hairdryer and soon turned it off for her before she would burn the place down to the ground.

Marnie soon whispered something to Clawdeen as her plan to distract the stylist long enough for Dylan to get the werewolf hair. Clawdeen nodded and then winked to her. The stylist panicked as he felt very nervous about their company.

"Whoops!" Clawdeen said as she 'accidentally' turns the hairdryer back on.

"The other button, sweetheart, put the thing down!" The stylist panicked as Clawdeen seemed clumsy with the hairdryer.

Dylan soon used the razor on the stylist from behind. The stylist howled and suddenly felt a bald spot. Clawdeen then turned off the hairdryer. 

"Hey, hey, hey!" The stylist glared as Dylan collected his hair and ran off with the others.

"Run!" Cherry yelped.

"Come back here, you little hum--" The stylist glared as they ran off before looking in the mirror and calmed down a little. "Hey... This could be a good look for me. Yeah, baby!"

"Next, sweat from a ghost." Atticus said.

"Atticus, you're gonna like this, I propose we go to the gym." Cherry replied.

There appeared to be a teenage ghost girl inside of the gym as she was with the other monsters who were playing basketball, and where Cherry was right about Atticus liking the gym.

"Ooh, I play winner!" Atticus told the basketball players.

"Hey, Spectra." Clawdeen greeted.

"Clawdeen." The teenage ghost girl replied.

"Got any sweat?" Clawdeen asked. "These guys really need sweat from a ghost."

"I think a ghost went downstairs to lose some weight and blow off some steam." Spectra said.

They soon came downstairs to find a suitable ghost as a werecat was giving aerobics instruction while the others followed and copied her.

'Now, where is this ghost?' Cherry thought to herself.

"There's gotta be a ghost around her someplace," Marnie complained. "Come on."

"You sure about this, Spectra?" Clawdeen asked.

"He should be coming any minute now." Spectra said.

A fish monster glanced down at Cherry. Cherry looked back up nervously. The fish monster touched her hair and put his flippers all over her face before taking out some salt.

"ATTICUS!" Cherry panicked.

"She's not on the menu." Atticus said.

The fish monster pouted and walked away. Cherry wiped her forehead in relief.

"Lagoona must be visiting here too." Spectra smiled innocently.

"Possibly." Clawdeen said.

"Ghosts are dead," Dylan commented. "Why would they worry about fitness?"

"Ooh, I have an idea, come here." Spectra said and led them to the Steam Room.

"This might be the place for a ghost to sweat." Cherry said.

"Look, a real ghost!" Sophie pointed out once she saw an overweight male ghost.

"And a real sweat box!" Marnie gasped.

"He's wanting to get into great shape." Spectra said.

A ghoul stood by and closed the box as the ghost stepped into it. 

"All right, distract him long enough so I can get that sweat." Marnie told the others.

"You got it." Atticus said.

"Would you guys get a grip?" Dylan asked. "He can't sweat, he doesn't have a body!"

Spectra glared, she soon slithered into Dylan's body through his mouth to possess him and then used his hand to slap himself across the face before she then got out as he was disrespecting her species.

"You deserved that." Cherry told Dylan.

Dylan rubbed his face with a firm pout while Spectra just glared at him. Marnie then walked into the room to collect the ghost's sweat and pulled the lever to make the steam hotter.

"What should we do?" Cherry whispered.

"So, uh, did you know that Sea Monkeys are actually shrimp?" Dylan asked the ghost. 

"No..." The ghost shook his head.

"Keep going." Marnie whispered to her brother.

"Um... Did you know that there is no proper name for the back of the knee?" Dylan tried.

"No kidding." The ghost said.

Sophie put on a sheet over herself and moaned, pretending to be a ghost just like back at home.

"Very funny, kid, I get bigger laughs out of the Boo Brothers," The ghost replied. "Now go back to your mommy."

"Uh, little girl, that's kinda offensive." Spectra said to Sophie.

"She's distracting him by doing that." Atticus whispered to her.

Spectra pouted as she tried to let it slide as it was a bit stereotypical. "I just hope Kibosh doesn't find out about it."

Marnie soon found a beaker as Sophie continued to moan as the ghost was getting very hot very fast which meant that he was sweating, and where he soon did.

"Hades was nothing compared to this!" The ghost panted. "Can I get some help over here? Burning up!"

Marnie soon collected sweat from the bridge of his nose into the glass.

"Attendant!" The ghost cried out and they could all now leave.

"Bye!" Atticus replied.

They soon left the gym and Spectra waved to them as she stayed to continue her game with the other monsters.

Cherry winced and cringed as they were now going to a dentist.

"Now, just one fang of a vampire." Atticus said.

The patient was screaming out of agony while the dentist took a look at her. "Oh, I'm afraid that one's going to have to come out." He then said as he took out a pair of pliers.

"Oh, is this going to hurt?" The patient frowned, revealing to be a vampiress. "Don't hurt me, Doctor! I'm not very good with pain."

'Hopefully not.' Atticus thought to himself.

"Oh, now, now," The dentist smiled. "Don't worry, you won't feel a thing.

The vampiress whimpered as one of her fangs was pulled, but luckily, it didn't hurt. "Wow, Doc, that didn't hurt at all!" She beamed in delight. 

"Well, after all, I am the Tooth Fairy." The dentist chuckled as he soon put the fang away.

Atticus collected the fang, posing as a dental assistant before he walked off outside with the others so they could add the fang to the recipe from Aggie.

"There he is, come on." Dylan told his sisters as Atticus came back outside.

Atticus soon ran back to them with the fang.

"Any blood?" Cherry asked.

"Of course not, turns out there's more than one Tooth Fairy though." Atticus replied, since the dentist called himself such a thing.

"Wow." Cherry said.

"We'll need a ride... Wait! Benny." Atticus replied before whistling.

The cab soon appeared with the skeleton driver.

"Say there, if it ain't the Cromwell kids along with Cherry and Atticus," Benny recognized despite not having any eyes. "I hear your mother's in town."

"How'd you hear that?" Atticus asked.

"Word gets out, especially with Monster High students on vacation from school." Benny chuckled.

"Um, well, yeah, uh," Marnie stammered to the skeleton. "She's just, uh, hanging out with our grandma. We just came to do a little shopping, but we're done now, okay? So, bye."

"Hey, I got a fare up that way anyway." Benny replied.

"I was hoping you did." Atticus smiled.

"Something's wrong." Cherry whispered to Atticus.

"Yeah, the bad thing is in him." Sophie also whispered in agreement.

"Little kids, what an imagination, huh?" Benny chuckled. "Come on, get in! I gotta go."

"Wait, how did you find out Gwen was in Halloween Town?" Atticus asked Benny out of suspicion.

"Hey, what's with the third degree here?" Benny glared. "GET IN THE CAB!" He soon reached out for both Cherry and Dylan to pull them into the cab by force. 

"Hey, let them go!" Marnie glared as she and Atticus then went to save Cherry and Dylan.

Sophie soon noticed a dog and had a smart idea. "Fetch the bone." She told the dog as she unhooked its leash.

The dog then rushed after Benny since he was a skeleton. 

"NOT THE DOG!" Benny screamed before letting go of Cherry and Dylan so he could escape.

"Smart." Atticus said.

"Thanks!" Sophie smiled.

The dog barked as it continued to chase after Benny's cab.

"Thanks, Soph." Dylan said in relief.

"Now, we get back to Aggie's place." Cherry said.

"Come on, let's get going." Marnie nodded.

They then rushed over to Aggie's house to began the witch's brew in their grandmother's absence. Once there, they started on the brew. Atticus decided to let Marnie handle the brew since she seemed to be the Chosen One.

"Here it is," Marnie said once she finished. "Vampire Fang Ghost Sweat Werewolf Hair al la Mode."

Dylan then handed her the talisman and she accepted it while pouring the substance inside. After it was full, she closed it back up. 

"Here." Dylan handed the end.

Marnie held the talisman once it was ready before looking lost. 

"Marnie, come on, while we're young!" Cherry told her.

"I can't remember Grandma's spell." Marnie frowned.

"Dang it." Atticus said.

"What do you mean you can't remember?" Dylan asked his sister. 

"It was Old English or Welsh or something," Marnie frowned. "I mean, give me a break, I have trouble remembering 'agua'."

"I thought you said you were a witch," Dylan scoffed. "I mean, the least you can do is remember a dumb spell."

"You try remembering a spell in a different language." Cherry said.

"Okay,... Okay... Um..." Marnie tried to do the spell as she held the talisman. "'Betty March, Betty Gunther, Betty, uh, Guggenheim, is all that's bid'?" 

Nothing happened and Sophie and Dylan only gave strange looks to their sister.

"Really?" Cherry asked.

"Okay, um..." Marnie frowned as she then decided to try something else. "'Better march, Better get there, Better get going before there's no more beds'." 

"That's even worse!" Cherry replied.

"What was that spell?" Atticus asked himself.

"It sounded like Spanish from what I remember." Cherry shrugged.

"Why didn't any of you write it down?" Dylan complained.

"We didn't really have time to grab some paper to write it down." Atticus said.

Cherry tried to think deep into her memories.

Inside of Cherry's head, her emotions seemed to be hard at work.

"What was that spell that Aggie said?" Cherry's Sadness wondered as she looked quite worried, about to cry from failure.

"Isn't it in the memories?!" Cherry's Fear panicked. "Atticus is gonna hate us if we don't remember it!"

"Oh, he won't hate us." Cherry's Joy said.

"Besides, if he worries about anyone, it's Mo." Cherry's Disgust scoffed.

"FOUND IT!" Cherry's Anger pointed to the memory. "Joy, touch it before I make it unpleasant."

Cherry's Joy took the memory and put it up so Cherry would remember the spell, and where she finally memorized it from earlier. 

"I got it!" Cherry said after her eyes flashed a yellow color at first. "'Bet Y March, Bet Y Guythur, Bet Y Gugaun, Cledyfrutm anoeth bid!"

"How did you remember it?" Marnie asked.

"I'm not sure..." Cherry replied with a shrug. "I have a strange memory. I can tell you about a commercial from like ten years ago, but I can't memorize how to solve algebra problems... Unless Maestro Forte tutors me in it through song on his keyboard."

"Well, then you two can recite the spell together." Atticus said to Marnie and Cherry.

"Oh, Atticus, I can't do that..." Cherry replied nervously. "I'm not a witch even though my grandmother's one. Don't you remember? My mom was adopted."

"But don't dream-benders have magic?" Atticus asked.

"Well, yeah, but--" Cherry replied.

"So you do have magic," Atticus told her. "Come on, Cherry, I believe you can do it. Drell might not show it often, but he believes in you too. Besides, what would your grandmother say if she could see you now?"

Cherry soon blinked as she remembered her grandmother when she was a baby before she disappeared out of her life.

"Cherry, don't give up, Cherry, never give up or stop being you," Mary Ruth told her granddaughter as she carried her over her crib before going away into another realm like Atticus's Aunt Delilah. "Believe in yourself, just like I believe in loving you... Have faith."

Cherry soon looked ready.

"'Bet Y March, Bet Y Guythur, Bet Y Gugaun, Cledyfrutm anoeth bid'!" Cherry and Marnie soon recited together and hoped for the best, and where the talisman soon lit up.

"You did it, you guys, it's lit!" Dylan cheered.

"I did it!" Marnie beamed before hugging Cherry. "We did it!"

"We did it!" Cherry smiled.

"You can celebrate later," Dylan told them, killing the moment a little. "Come on, let's get out of here."

They soon rushed out with the talisman, but before they did, Marnie grabbed a robe and decided to wear it. Atticus did the same. They soon came back into the theater.


	9. Chapter 9

"Keep the door open." Cherry told Dylan.

"Duh!" Dylan replied.

"And in we go." Atticus said.

Sophie soon came to her mother and grandmother, sitting beside them before looking to the others. "Are they gonna be okay?" she asked out of worry. 

Marnie leaned over to her mother's chest. "I think so, I can hear her heart beating." She then told her little sister. 

"Grandma too." Dylan added after checking their grandmother.

Atticus soon leaned over Drell's chest. Drell's heart beat was still there much to his relief.

"Oh, thank goodness," Atticus told Cherry. "He's still okay too."

"I've never felt more scared for Drell in all my life." Cherry replied, Drell was their mentor after all and looked after them during their years together.

Dylan began to wave the talisman in front of Aggie then Gwen. Cherry and Atticus hoped that this would work, but nothing seemed to happen. 

"Hey, why didn't it work?!" Cherry glared as she took the talisman.

There was then suddenly rumbling which spooked them all.

"That was strange." Cherry said.

"It's the bad thing." Sophie pouted.

Dylan tried to use the talisman on his mother, grandmother, and Drell, but nothing happened. "Work, you dumb thing, work! Why isn't it working?"

"I don't know." Marnie said.

"This isn't right..." Atticus replied. 

"Grandma said something about installing it..." Marnie began to remember.

"Installing it where?" Dylan asked.

Marnie sighed as she felt a lot of pressure as she looked to her frozen grandmother. "Mortals see, mortals do..." She repeated to herself quietly. 

"What?" Dylan asked.

"Do you remember what Grandma said about our traditions being imitations of theirs?" Marnie rhetorically asked.

"Yeah, so?" Dylan asked.

"Well, when it's dark on Halloween, where do you put the candle?" Marnie replied. "Come on."

"I know where we have to install it." Cherry said.

"Yeah?" Dylan looked to her.

Once outside, Dylan saw what his sister and their friend meant. "You can't be serious," He said to the girls once people passed by the giant Jack-O-Lantern. "You guys are not actually thinking of going into that thing."

"We have to." Cherry said.

"She's right, Dylan, we have to save your mom and grandma." Atticus added in urgently.

"And Drell." Cherry said.

Atticus looked surprised that Cherry actually wanted to help Drell.

"They're right, we have to," Marnie agreed. "This is the only way to save them."

"What're we gonna do?" Dylan asked about himself and Sophie.

"Stay hidden." Atticus said.

"Wish us luck." Marnie added before hiking up the hood of her robe to look like a real witch. 

"Good luck, Marnie, Cherry, and Atticus." Sophie replied.

"Good luck." Dylan said.

Cherry, Atticus, and Marnie soon went off to do what they had to do. 

"Guys," Luke suddenly appeared which startled them at first. "This is a trap, he's waiting for you." he then warned urgently.

"Oh, and we should believe you, why?" Atticus asked.

"Get out of our way, Luke!" Marnie glared.

"Look, about earlier, I didn't know he was gonna do that to your mom, grandma, and that warlock." Luke replied.

"Sorry, I don't talk to trash, I take it out, now beat it!" Cherry glared.

"Yeah, before I have to get rough with you." Atticus added.

"I swear!" Luke told them. "He said all he wanted was the talisman and then he'd let the old lady go."

"We said get out of our way!" Marnie replied.

There was then suddenly wind and the sky was becoming dark and scary.

"That's not a good sign." Atticus said.

There seemed to be a tornado coming down and it overwhelmed the citizens of Halloween Town instantly, and where the dark figure soon appeared.

"He's coming!" Luke told Cherry, Atticus, and Marnie before pulling on Marnie's hand.

They soon hid.

"MY FELLOW CREATURES!" The figure from earlier appeared with a menacing look as always. "Your moment of destiny has arrived. I offer you the chance to return to our days of glory, to end this exile from the Mortal World, which the humans have stolen from us. Follow me, my fellow citizens of Halloween Town. Too long have we been exiled to this second-class world. Forced to live here in this Halloween Town."

"But that was just to keep the balance intact." Atticus whispered.

Marnie looked at the talisman as it glowed a bright white color. "We've gotta install this thing before it's too late."

"No," Luke shook his head. "He'll see you! You'll end up just like the others!"

"We can't just do nothing," Cherry said. "And doesn't that figure's voice sound kind of familiar?"

"Now that you mention it, it kinda does..." Atticus had to admit. "I just can't place it at the moment."

The figure laughed as he mentioned revealing themselves who they really are only for his face to melt away to reveal the familiar one.

"KALABAR?!" Cherry, Atticus, and Marnie gasped in shock.

"I can't believe Mom dated that guy." Dylan said.

"FOLLOW ME!" Kalabar told the citizens of Halloween Town. "And together, we will reclaim the Mortal World which is rightfully ours!"

"You knew?" Marnie glared at Luke.

"And you didn't tell us?" Cherry added.

"I've made an awful mistake," Luke explained. "So I'm trying to make up for it. It's our only chance."

"Well, we have to try to get the talisman installed in the giant pumpkin." Atticus said.

"But before we can be sure of success, we must find the ones who would stop us!" Kalabar told the citizens. "One of which who is half-human, as well as a Wiccan and a dream-bender who studies under the wings of Princess Luna of Equestria, but the granddaughter of one of the best witches!"

Cherry, Atticus, and Marnie wandered off with their hoods up so no one would recognize them, but Luke decided to take her place with her hood so then Kalabar would think he was Marnie.

"Ah, young Cromwell," Kalabar smirked toward the direction of who he thought was Marnie. "You thought you could hide from me?! Stop, give me the talisman!"

Luke kept going, ignoring him. 

"I SAID STOP! GIVE ME THE TALISMAN!" Kalabar repeated aggressively and louder.

Luke just kept walking.

Kalabar soon swooped down and landed in front of Luke. "How dare you disobey me?"

Luke turned around to run the other way. Kalabar soon fired his magic to make Luke give up the talisman since he thought that the boy was Marnie, and where after a few hits, he was down. Kalabar soon knelt down to remove the hood only to see that it was actually Luke and not Marnie. 

"Fooled ya." Luke replied weakly.

"Quick, install it now." Atticus told Marnie and Cherry as he helped them up to the top before getting the giant pumpkin opened for them.

"NOOOOOO!!!" Kalabar shouted which startled them all. 

Cherry and Marnie soon took out the talisman and Kalabar hit them with a magical blast which made them both cry out in pain. Kalabar soon did it again with a sharp glare.

"Atticus... I don't feel so good..." Cherry groaned to her best friend.

"You can do it, Cherry; I know you both can." Atticus said as he soon used his crystal powers to protect Marnie and Cherry from any more attacks.

Kalabar glared at Atticus and soon shot against him. Atticus soon smirked as he dodged the attack while still having the girls protected. Cherry and Marnie leaned on the edge of the pumpkin with the talisman at hand, but they were unable to do much of anything.

"What are you, some sort of Kryptonian?!" Kalabar glared at Atticus.

"Maybe~" Atticus taunted the Mayor of Halloween Town.

"Wait... Marnie... Why not just let the talisman fall in?" Cherry asked.

"I... I can't..." Marnie groaned.

"Just drop it..." Cherry replied. "We're both weak, but Atticus can hold off Kalabar for us..."

"O-Okay." Marnie said as she let the talisman drop into the giant pumpkin.

Once the talisman landed, there was soon a huge glowing blast which made everyone else flinch from the bright light, and where the light increased as it shined through the crystals. 

"It's working!" Sophie cheered out of excitement.

A bright light soon came into the movie theater which seemed to cure Gwen, Aggie, Drell, and the others.

"They did it." Drell smiled.

"Gwen..." Aggie said as she took her daughter's hand.

"Mother!" Gwen replied before hugging her mother.

"We better go meet up with the kids." Drell said.

They soon left the theater to go find the others. Cherry and Marnie soon had their energy restored and they were able to stand up straight, and which caused Dylan and Sophie to get out of their hiding place. Atticus smiled to Cherry and Marnie as he then helped them down. Kalabar groaned as he soon began to crawl away.


	10. Chapter 10

"You two did it." Atticus smiled.

Marnie soon hugged her little sister.

"Good going," Dylan told her. "You got more than the weird part down."

Gwen, Aggie, and Drell soon came to them. Aggie and Gwen happily reunited with the siblings.

"Cherry actually saved the day." Atticus told Drell.

"Cherry?!" Drell gaped at the perky goth. 

"I memorized the spell..." Cherry shrugged.

"I'm very proud of you." Drell smiled.

"You're proud of me...?" Cherry replied in shock.

"That's right." Drell said.

Cherry looked a bit sheepish as she felt like she wasn't expecting that.

"You've got all the power of the Cromwells and twice the guts." Aggie smiled proudly to Marnie.

Gwen soon realized she was wrong.

"Grandma, i-it was Kalabar." Marnie told her grandmother.

"Ah, yes, Kalabar," Drell crossed his arms. "Jealousy always got the bitter end of him, especially when it came to marital status and bearing children." 

"Wait, does that mean Kalabar has kids?" Cherry asked.

"...No?" Drell looked around nervously, not wanting them to worry too much about the future.

"Drell?" Gwen asked impatiently.

Drell sighed. "Well, I didn't wanna say anything, but you might wanna look out for someone named Kal next Halloween if you decide to come here..." he then looked her right in the eyes. "That is, if your kids are allowed to celebrate Halloween."

"Yes, they'll be allowed." Gwen allowed.

This made the siblings smile in excitement to their mother's decision.

"KALABAR?!" Drell called out as the man was trying to get up before he walked toward him. "I want a word with you!"

"What do you want?" Kalabar glared as he stood up.

"Why did you do this?" Drell glared at him with Aggie and Gwen. "Are you that jealous that a mortal stole the girl of your dreams?"

"Exactly!" Kalabar glared back before looking toward Gwen. "You could've had me! The most powerful warlock of all. You could've ruled with me, as my queen! But you chose a human instead!"

"You didn't know that she was truly in love with that mortal." Drell glared.

"It turns out Mom's a pretty good judge of character." Marnie smirked while folding her arms at the Mayor of Halloween Town.

"Your days at rule are at an end, Kalabar." Aggie glared. 

"Do not underestimate me," Kalabar smirked evilly. "I got rid of Delilah Fudo, I can do the same to you all!" he then raised his hand which made the talisman come from the pumpkin and into his clutches. "NOW, MY DARKNESS WILL SPREAD ABJECT, AND I WILL BE RULER OF BOTH WORLDS!"

Drell was about to get his wand out to turn Kalabar into a familiar to punish him like he had done with Salem nearly a century ago, but he then remembered how strong the talisman could become from more and more magical creatures using their magic. Aggie soon began to recite a magical spell as she stepped in Drell's place as he soon restrained himself. Gwen soon took her mother's hand as he gave the older woman a helping hand.

"YOU'LL WASTE YOUR ENERGIES, WITCHES!" Kalabar taunted. 

"Man, that jerk..." Dylan grumbled. "I'd like to... I'd like to..." Magic sparkles began to form in the boy's fingers.

"Dylan!" Marnie told her brother in excitement. 

"What?" Dylan replied.

"Looks like we just added another witch to the family," Marnie smirked. "Or should I say 'warlock'?" 

"No way!" Dylan gasped as he looked at his hands. "I don't have any powers; I'm the normal one in this family!"

"But normal is boring," Cherry told him before asking. "Do you want to be a boring person?"

"Hey, Chocolate Bar!" Marnie called out to Kalabar. 

Drell snickered. "That was a good one."

"You better give that talisman back or you're in big trouble!" Marnie warned.

"Yeah!" Atticus added.

"You half-human brat and meddling nephew!" Kalabar glared toward them. "You think that your magic is any match for mine?!"

"Hmm... No," Marnie replied. "Let's see. My powers, and my mom's, and my grandmother's, and my sister's, and my brother's, and also, our two new friends' might do it. Hit it, guys!"

They all soon joined hands to combine all their magic into one as they had outnumbered Kalabar. Unfortunately, Dylan hadn't joined his hand in. 

"Dylan, come on," Cherry told the boy. "If I can do this, you can do it too, and I didn't think I could do anything. I have very different magic than wiccan or witch."

"Silly witches, wiccan, and dream-bender!" Kalabar laughed as he held the talisman. "You Cromwells have failed, especially you, Fudo, you're a hasbeen just like your precious aunt!"

Atticus simply ignored Kalabar at what he called him.

"Dylan, we need you!" Marnie told her brother. "Believe!"

Dylan soon looked to his sister and then joined hands with her at last. 

"Unleash the magic... Unleash the magic..." Drell said to himself about everyone else joining hands. "If we lose, then you're to blame... Kalabar has used it... Maybe abused it... So why don't you do the same?"

"Really?" Atticus and Cherry asked, unimpressed.

Drell nodded as he thought that would help motivate Dylan.

"No! No! NOOOOO!!!" Kalabar cried out as he was soon losing power from the talisman since everyone else was against him, and where the talisman soon overpowered him, destroying him.

The talisman then floated in the air before zipping back into Aggie's hand once Kalabar had been defeated. Everyone then cheered since Kalabar was no more and Halloween Town and the Mortal World were saved. The elderly witch woman then put the magic talisman back into the giant pumpkin.

"I'm so proud of you." Gwen whispered as she hugged Marnie. 

"Mom?" Marnie replied. 

"Yes, sweetheart?" Gwen asked.

"You were right," Marnie smiled. "There was a lot about Halloween Town that I didn't understand. And I'm sorry about the things I said and did."

"And I'm sorry that I didn't trust you," Gwen said. "You are everything I could've ever hoped for in a daughter and so much more."

The two then shared a hug together once they had made up with each other. Marnie soon noticed Luke walking off somewhere.

"Oh, I've got quite great company here, my dear!" Aggie beamed. 

"I thought they were a handful before." Gwen commented.

"Hey, it wasn't me," Dylan chuckled. "That stuff coming out of my fingertips was probably static electricity. Either that or that Aurora Borealis I've been reading about."

"Nope," Cherry said. "That was magic."

"I forgot about Luke!" Marnie told the others before running off and she then soon found him. "Luke?" She asked as she knelt by the boy.

Luke sighed as he put the hood down and showed he had a very large nose and pointed ears. "Hi."

"Wow..." Marnie blinked. "So, this is the real you?" 

"You wanna know the worst part?" Luke replied. "I wasn't even under a spell or anything. I did what I did because he made me handsome. Guess it wasn't much of a reason for being evil and all. Especially since when I was good looking, I didn't have a chance to get a date with you."

Cherry heard what Luke said. "A date?!"

Luke turned away sheepishly. "Yeah, it was stupid..."

Marnie didn't say anything, but she gave Luke a kiss. 

"Wow..." Luke smiled shyly. "I guess I didn't turn into a handsome prince though, huh?"

"No, but you did that before when you decided to help us," Marnie smiled back warmly. "We never could've done it without you. Thanks."

"Yeah, thanks for the help." Cherry said.

Luke smiled back to them. "If you ever come back to Halloween Town, look me up."

Marnie smiled back with a nod. "We'll do that."

"Great." Luke smiled, though mostly toward Marnie.

Aggie soon came over. "Marnie, we have to go," She told her granddaughter. "Luke, we have a job for you."

Hearing this news made them both happy. They soon went over together to see what the big hubbub was since it was great news. 

Everyone was cheering and clapping for Aggie and her family as they were their saviors, especially with Cherry and Atticus's help.

"Aggie, you're coming back with us, right?" Atticus asked.

"He has a point, Mother," Gwen added. "I have to admit you're very good with the kids."

"Thank you." Aggie replied, seeming surprised by her daughter's reaction.

"You know, I was thinking," Gwen then said. "I could use a babysitter on Thursday nights. You know, my PTA meetings, sometimes they go on forever."

"Well, you know I can't cross over," Aggie replied. "Only on Halloween night."

"Hmm... Well, then I guess you're just gonna have to come live with us." Gwen smiled.

"She has a point." Drell said.

Marnie gasped in wonderfully delighted surprise.

"That is... If you want to..." Gwen told Aggie. 

"Grandma's gonna come live with us? Oh, that'd be so cool!" Marnie beamed. "You know, I can show you all my books, all the Frankenstein movies on video, and then you can show me how to--Oh, no, where's mine and Cherry's brooms?!" 

"Oh, don't panic, dear, don't panic." Aggie replied before whistling.

Aggie's bag soon started to move towards her.

"Yes... Follows me everywhere," Aggie chuckled out of amusement. "Open it up, open it up!"

Marnie soon opened the bag and took out her broomstick and Cherry reached in and then saw her own broomstick inside as well.

"I figured you'd pick the Dragonfly once." Drell chuckled to Cherry based on the color scheme.

"How could I not?" Cherry asked.

"Our brooms!" Marnie cheered to Cherry.

"I thought we could continue the studies." Aggie smiled to her granddaughter.

"Uh... No." Gwen replied as she took Marnie's broom from her.

"Mom?" Marnie asked.

"I'm going to finish your training." Gwen then smiled to her.

"Ooh!" Aggie beamed and giggled after Marnie and Gwen shared a hug.

"All Aboard the Mortal World!" Luke announced as he rang a bell inside of the bus.

The group soon got on the bus.

"All aboard! All aboard!" Aggie told her grandchildren. "Oh, the smallest first!"

"I'm gonna figure out how this thing works." Dylan commented as he took his grandmother's bag.

"Good luck." Aggie smirked.

They soon all got onto the bus so they could finally go home.

"Happy Birthday, Cherry." Atticus said.

Cherry soon zipped to him to give him a hug which nearly looked like Sapphire's hug to Ruby due to their body statures. "Thank you, Atticus."

"You're welcome." Atticus smiled as he hugged her back.

"I'll be sure to tell your grandmother about this, Cherry," Drell said as he helped the perky goth up into the bus. "I'm really proud of you, whether you think I'm kidding or not. This feat such as yours should not go unrewarded. Just name it and it shall be yours."

"Really?" Cherry asked.

"Yep, anything." Drell said.

"Hmm..." Cherry hummed as she had a lot to think about right now.

"Consider it as my birthday present for you." Drell replied as he joined them on the bus.

"I want to go to Monster High." Cherry said.

"Oh, I dunno..." Drell replied.

"You said anything, Drell," Atticus smirked. "And it's Cherry's birthday..."

"Well..." Drell rubbed the back of his neck. "I have to talk with Dracula about this before anything else."

"Alright." Atticus said.

"I just hope I can get to him before he craves a Bloody Mary if you know what I mean..." Drell mumbled.

"So, we can go to Monster High?" Cherry asked.

"Just let me talk with some people first and I'll get back to you as soon as possible." Drell replied.

"Alright." Atticus and Cherry said.

Everyone clapped and cheered as they got on the bus and they all waved back to the citizens of Halloween Town. They soon left back to the human world.

"Thanks, kids!" Benny waved. "See ya in the afterlife! HA!"

"Bye, Benny!" Marnie giggled while Aggie blew kisses.

The bus soon took them back to the human world.

"I'll see ya later, I can feel it in my bones! HA!" Benny called out as he made his lame puns again.

"I wonder if he's related to Sans and Papyrus?" Cherry smirked to herself since she was a fan of Undertale which had talking skeletons that told jokes, especially Sans.

"Nope." Drell shook his head.

"Who asked you?" Cherry rolled her eyes as they were soon going back home.

Once they were back home, they went their separate ways. Cherry yawned as soon as they were back home and came to lie down.

"Say hi to your grandmother for me, Cherry." Aggie told the girl.

"Will do." Cherry nodded as she looked ready for bed.

The End


End file.
